Noia
by ChocolateMilkLOL
Summary: Peace for an assassin recruit is a rarity, even when they do have actual down time. Follow the Italian Brotherhood as they (try to) kick back and relax. Usually they just end up causing trouble.
1. House of Cards

**A/N: Salutations! Long time no see, eh? Well, I suppose not for most of you seeing as this is my first Assassin's Creed fic. Anyways, Welcome to the _Noia_ series! ('Boredom' in English) This will be a series of one-shots (and maybe a few multi-chapter installations) centered around the assassin recruits from Brotherhood. I hope you enjoy!**

**(See end for further notes)**

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Chapter 1: House of Cards

"Come one…. _una_… _di più_... Yes!" Beatrice Simoni did a small victory jig after placing two more cards onto the rather large structure in front of her.

A day off from missions and being on call resulted in a surprising amount of boredom, and she sulked around the guild all morning trying to think of something to do. The two newest recruits were out on an errand, and the only other female was on a mission in Venezia. Niccolo Ciccone, the only other _assistente_ so far, had the day off as well, but he seemed absent to be as she could not find him anywhere when she had looked before. Eventually, Beatrice finally found relief in a deck of cards she discovered sitting on one of the bookshelves.

A steadily growing house of cards was founded on the large table that was normally used for maps, while Beatrice opted to stand so she could flit around her creation, creating additions onto its sides from time to time. She was quite proud of her creation. Beatrice had always love playing with cards with her father when she was little. It had been many years since she had done this, and she could say she was thoroughly enjoying her day off now. Beatrice smiled to herself as she picked up two more cards to add to the top of the house. Her tongue stuck out from the corner of her mouth in concentration as she slowly lowered the cards. Only a few more centimetres…

"Oi, Beatrice!"

The female assassin squeaked in surprise and flailed backwards, trying desperately to avoid knocking over her creation. Putting her hand over her rapidly beating heart, she whirled around towards the voice and glared angrily at the person who almost ruined the card house.

"_Dio mio_! Niccolo, you _pezzo di merda_!" she exclaimed. Niccolo just laughed in response, and held his hands up in front of him as a measly defence against the onslaught of insults tumbling from Beatrice's mouth.

"Whoa, calm down, B! What's the big deal?" Niccolo asked.

Beatrice huffed and strode towards him, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You almost made me knock down my house of cards! All those hours could have gone to waste!"

Truth be told, she had only spent an hour or so on the entire thing. A little lie would not hurt though, especially if it meant Niccolo feeling guilty about something, the man was too prideful to admit to anything in her opinion.

"Well sorry," he said, rolling his eyes. "What_ever_ can I do to make it up to you?"

Beatrice turned on her heel and walked back over to the table. She counted the cards remaining in her deck and found there were only six left. If she wanted to keep construction going, she would be needing a lot more supplies.

"Seeing as you offered so kindly, you can go find me another deck of cards," Beatrice said, not even bothering to look at Niccolo as she spoke.

"Excuse me?" Niccolo sputtered indignantly, a look of disbelief on his face. "You have got to be kidding me. If you're so desperate for more cards, you can go to the Thieves Guild and get them yourself. I'm sure they have plenty there for your stupid house."

"Not in a million years! I refuse to leave my creation alone in your presence, with the fear that you will end up destroying it," Bianca growled.

"Well I would not destroy it because it is hardly worth my time!"

"Can't you come up with a better comeback than that, _stupido_?"

"Who're you calling stupid, you bullheaded co- "

"We're back!"

Rafaelle Cavallari and Zaccaria Vitelli walked into the main room of the headquarters and instantly regretted doing so, as they spotting Beatrice and Niccolo fighting in the corner beside a large house of cards. The two recruits exchanged nervous glances, unsure if they should intervene or not. While on one hand they were curious to know what their two higher-ups were arguing about, they also knew that Beatrice could get very scary very fast when she was mad. Niccolo was not much better either. Although he had more patience than the latter, once he lost it, it was almost certain that things would get ugly. The recruits had just decided to slip away undetected when Beatrice spotted them and waved them over. Rafaelle and Zaccaria shared a stifled groan as they warily approached the duo.

"Morning, _recluta_," Niccolo greeted with a lazy grin. All of his earlier agitation seemed to have disappeared; although, an obvious tension still lingered around Beatrice.

"Good morning," Zaccaria replied. Rafaelle nodded in greeting.

"Neither of you wouldn't happen to have a spare deck of cards around would you?" Beatrice asked.

"I do," Rafaelle said, turning to heading for his sleeping quarters.

Zaccaria tipped his head to the side and asked, "What are you doing that requires another deck of cards?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the female assassin retorted. "I'm building a house out of cards."

"It looks more like a fortress to me," Niccolo quipped.

"Well, no one asked you," Beatrice snapped.

Niccolo rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to answer when Rafaelle re-entered the room, deck of cards in hand. He handed them to Beatrice who beamed in return.

"Thank you, Rafaelle! Now I can finally finish this thing!"

The three men all exchanged looks as Beatrice seemed to forget about their presence and returned to her construction efforts. Shrugging, Niccolo wandered off and motioned for the other two to follow. He knew full well of what would happen if any of them was stupid enough to interrupt the female assassin.

Many hours later, it had become early evening and the sun was just beginning to sink below the buildings of Roma. Niccolo, Raphaelle, and Zaccaria had all managed to avoid the main room in which Beatrice and her card house, which was most likely a castle by now, occupied.

"We have not heard much from Beatrice in a while now," Zaccaria commented after looking out the window to see the street lamps being lit. "Do you think she's OK?"

"She's probably fine," Niccolo grunted as he scrubbed at a very persistent smudge on his blade.

Raphaelle turned his head to look at them from his place on the floor. "She fell asleep a while ago."

Zaccaria's brows rose in question. "Really?"

The other man nodded and went back to his meditation. Zaccaria heard the sound of leather against fabric, and turned to see Niccolo strapping his now clean hidden blade to his arm. After releasing the blade experimentally a few times, he stood and sauntered over to the archway leading to the main room of the headquarters.

"Where are you going?" Zaccaria asked.

"I want to see how big that house of cards is now." he answered smirking. "Care to join me?"

"I would not go if I were you," Raphaelle piped up from the floor. "That invitation has danger written all over it."

"Nonsense! I only wish to admire the skills of my partner."

Sighing, Zaccaria stood and walked over to Niccolo. "I will probably regret this decision, but I too am curious to see what Beatrice managed to build."

As the two men strolled into the next room, they could hear a soft snoring coming from the far corner. When they rounded the small wall, they both had to stop and do a double take as they came face-to-face with an enormous, card edifice. Zaccaria stared, his mouth hanging open, as Niccolo quickly regained his composure and slipped around the side of the table. He snorted loudly as a hand flew to his mouth to muffle the rest of his snickers. Blinking and shaking his head, Zaccaria snapped out of his trance and joined Niccolo, almost laughing out loud at the sight. Beatrice had somehow managed to fall asleep with her head resting on her arms on the table as the card structure made an arch over her sleeping form. Her hair fell around her shoulders and face, but it did nothing to cover the drool spot on her arm.

"Hey, _recluta_, watch this."

Zaccaria looked to Niccolo, and found, to his horror, that the other man had shuffled close to the table and shifted a little ways away before suddenly jerking his midsection to hip check the table. All at once, the structure on the table shifted and collapsed, causing cards to fly every which way. Beatrice jerked awake, her head hitting the arch above her as she straightened in the chair she sat in. This only served to cause more problems, as Beatrice's chair flew back when she abruptly shifted her weight. Zaccaria jumped back to avoid being hit by flailing arms, and glanced at Niccolo in bewilderment as the other man stood clutching his stomach and laughing his head off. Was he not scared of the rage he was about to experience?

"_Cazzo_!" Beatrice exclaimed loudly from her place on the floor. Her head snapped up to shoot a murderous glare at her fellow _assistente_, which only served to amuse him more.

"Oh, B! You should see your face right now! _Impagabile_!" Niccolo laughed breathlessly.

"_Figlio di puttana_! I will have your head, Ciccone!"

Zaccaria caught Beatrice around the waist before she could throw herself at Niccolo, and he tried desperately to hold her back; although, despite her petite size, she was quite strong. However, instead of using the time to run, Niccolo just continued to laugh at the raging woman.

"_S-signora_, please!" Zaccaria pleaded, struggling to keep his grip on Beatrice.

"Niccolo, you _stronzo_! Come and fight me like a man!" she screamed at him. She then suddenly turned on Zaccaria and started mercilessly kicking at his shins. "And you! Why did you not stop him, _idiota_?!"

"_Mi dispiace_, Beatrice, but I-"

Zaccaria was cut off as Beatrice landed a blow on his stomach. She managed to wriggle out of his grip and shove him towards Niccolo. Said man was too busy laughing to notice the new threat, and they both ended up falling to the ground. Rubbing his head, Niccolo grumbled under his breath, only to stop when he heard the sound of cracking knuckles. He and Zaccaria looked up to see Beatrice standing over them, giving them both a look that could kill. Not even a second past before they scrambled to their feet and hightailed it away as fast as they could.

Beatrice took chase and shook her fist after their retreating forms, yelling, "Get back here and fight me like, cowards!" as Niccolo and Zaccaria burst through the door of the headquarters and onto the streets of Roma.

As silence fell upon the interior of the headquarters, Raphaelle could only shake his head and wonder what fate would befall the two unfortunate assassins.

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**A/N: Oh boy, looks like Niccolo and Zaccaria are in for it... Shoud've listened to Raphaelle, eh? So, what'd you think? Like it, hate it? Let me know! Also, feel free to drop a prompt! I have a few more ideas, but I would love to hear some ideas from you guys! I will also be updating my profile with the characters from this story, just to keep track of them all. All of them, save Niccolo, all have names from the actual game. I surfed through a few forums to get the names, and mixed around some of the first and last names, but I kept Beatrice Somoni since it seemed like everyone had her. XD Also, excuse my horrible Italian, haha.**

**Please read and review!**

**CMilk out!**


	2. Not Leonardo da Vinci

**A/N:**** Greetings! I come bearing another chapter for you guys! Today's will be focusing on the only recruit who was not around during last time, Adel Sozzi!**

**LucDeep:** Ah, I'm glad! :D Awh man, that sucks. I've never actually managed to build a card house. I'm usually only able to get two cards up, haha!

Infinte Luminarium: **Thanks so much! I will try my best entertain! :D**

**(see end for further notes)**

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Chapter 2: Not Leonardo da Vinci

"So, what are you going to do on your day off?"

"Oh, probably relax some. There are a few things I would like to get done anyways," answered Adel Sozzi. The fair-haired girl stood leaning against the wall as she watched her friend, and cousin, Beatrice pack last minute essentials into her bag. The brunette was preparing to set out to Firenze on a contract which involved chasing down a messenger and destroying some important evidence. It was a simple mission, but it was the one which would determine whether or not she would be promoted up a rank to _Milite_; something she desperately wanted, seeing as Niccolo was promoted two weeks prior.

Shoving the last of her stuff into the bag, Beatrice tied its drawstrings closed then flung it over her shoulder. Following her out into the main room of the headquarters, Adel and Beatrice shared a brief hug and words of farewell before the brunette left. As the door clicked shut, the blonde woman was left with the headquarters all to herself; well, for the rest of the day anyways. Beatrice would be gone for three or four days while Niccolo was on a contract all the way in Paris, so he wouldn't be back until sometime next week. The two _recluta_ were also out on a contract which would determine the time of their promotions to _servitore_; they would not be back until late evening.

Adel let out a wide yawn and stretched before surveying the room. She did not feeling like going outside, as it was overcast and looking like it going to start raining, but she also did not want to sit around doing nothing. Her hands were itching to do _something_, but what? She could always write up the report that went along with the completion of her mission… nah. She could try tackling a bit of the Brotherhood's bookkeeping? Despite being a guild for assassins, there was a surprising amount of paperwork that came with the profession. Adel actually contemplated the idea for a few moments before promptly tossing it away and briskly walking down to the sleeping quarters. No way was she going to spend her day doing boring paperwork. No, she was going to spend it doing something fun.

Adel crouched beside her bed and reached underneath to pull out an easel. She then grabbed a satchel, a wooden box, and a blank canvas from the space between her bed and the wall. She then made her way back to the main room. Adel set the satchel and box near the main desk before moving to the other end of the room to set up the easel and canvas. After making sure it was standing firmly on the ground, she walked back to her satchel, which contained a paint stained smock and an old, worn bandana. Adel slipped the smock over the shirt she was wearing and rolled up the sleeves before using the bandana to hold back her hair. After making sure her clothes were sufficiently protected from what she was going to do, she moved to the box and opened it, staring at its contents with a wide grin. Inside sat different coloured spheres that were plentiful in number, insuring that she would not run out any time soon. They were about the same size as smoke bomb, but their purpose was a bit different. Adel took a handful of the spheres and dropped a few in a pouch at her side. She rolled the remaining ones around in her fingers as she made her way across the room from her canvas.

Once she was in position, she held one of the balls in her left hand and pull her arm back. Adel suddenly pitched her arm forward, sending the purple coloured ball hurdling towards the easel. As it came into contact with the rough material, the thin shell encasing whatever was inside broke, sending paint splattering over the canvas.

"Whew! That felt good!" Adel huffed, smiling in glee. Before she joined the Brotherhood, she was always experimenting with paints and other art mediums. She invented and refined the paint balls whenever she had free time, which was not very often, but this was the first chance she had gotten to try them out.

"Let's try some blue, shall we?"

One after another, balls of paint –red, green, yellow, orange, pink, and many others- were all sent flying at their target, mercilessly pummeling the painting _and_ the floor around it. As she stopped to reload, Adel took a minute to marvel at her creation. She was no Leonardo da Vinci, but she had to admit, there was a strange sense of beauty that came from the painting. Colours mixed and layered in ways that the public had not seen (and probably would not be ready to see for some time). There was no 'subject'; no main focus on anything in particular. It was purely nonconcrete, something that reflected Adel's personality perfectly.

Getting ready for another round of paint projectiles, Adel was too busy to notice the sound of the headquarters' door being opened and closed, and the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs to the main room. It was only after she had shot three bright, green balls that she noticed the dark-clad figure saunter into the room.

"_Singore_, duck!" Adel squeaked desperately. Her hands flew to her eyes, unable to watch any further.

"_Che diavolo era_?" the figure exclaimed, sounding more surprised than angry.

Adel peeked through her fingers and saw, much to her relief, that the figure that dropped to the ground just in time to avoid being drenched in green paint. When she recognized just exactly who the figure was, she flushed red in embarrassment.

"Oh, no! _M-mi dispiace_! I did not see you! No paint got on your robes, did it?"

Said figure was none other than Ezio Auditore himself.

"No," Ezio grunted, getting to his feet and brushing the dust from the front of his clothes. "What in the Lord's name were you doing anyways?"

Adel scratched the back of her head and gave a nervous chuckle. "I was painting, _Maestro_."

The older assassin looked to his right to see a paint-splattered easel and canvas. He rose a brow in question as he examined the painting in question. Being used to ones that his friend Leonardo painted, or the ones he bought from the art merchants, all he saw in Adel's was obnoxious amount of colour and chaos.

"This is what you call painting? How did you even manage this?"

"Ah, you would not understand. You see, every artist has their own style," Adel explained, moving to stand behind her _maestro_, who was still trying to find something familiar in the work. "This is mine. I call it… Adelism." She did not bare ill feelings towards the man. She knew her art style was extensively more different that other artists of the period.

Ezio crossed his arms and eyed the drops of paint littering the surrounding area of the easel. "Well, whatever you call it, just make sure you clean up after you are done. This is an Assassin guild, not Leondardo da Vinci's workshop."

"You do not want me to stop?" Adel asked in surprise.

"No, why would I? You look to be enjoying yourself. Besides, I think we should take any chance we get to relax a bit. It helps with keeping us sane, especially with our profession," Ezio shrugged. Adel watched in fascination as the elder _assassino_ walked away, leaving her to her own devices once again.

Turning back to her painting, her stroked her chin and cocked her head to the side in thought. As her eyes scanned the painting, her face suddenly lit up.

"I know what I will call this painting! I shall title it, 'Not Leonardo da Vinci'!"

A perfectly abstract title for a perfectly abstract painting, that of which only an equally abstract artist could create.

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**A/N: Hehe, Adelism... She needs to be more careful. We almost had a paint-covered Ezio on our hands! Anywho~ Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Also, thank you so much for the follows, favs, and reviews on the last part! I really appreciate it! And, remember you're welcome to leave a prompt for a story! I'm already wanting to include Adel's paint balls in some other situations. All of which will end in well, I'm sure. XD**

**Please read and review!**

**CMilk out!**


	3. Mr Handyman

**A/N: _Salute!_ Welcome to another chapter of _Noia_!**

**LucDeep:** Thanks! Glad you liked it!

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Chapter 3: Mr. Handyman

"OK, try it again."

"Sure." Zaccaria planted his feet firmly on the floor and gave the handle of the water pump he was holding a few pushes. He waited for water to come out, but nothing happened, so he continued his ministrations. Unfortunately, they were having the opposite effect of what he wanted, and the pumps were actually driving water out from a leak in the pipe, much to the chagrin of the one trying to fix it.

"Aye! Stop, _stop_!" Niccolo sputtered, trying unsuccessfully to block the jet of water propelling itself at his face.

"_Che cosa_? Niccolo, what happened?" Zaccaria asked, stopping the pump. He looked at the hole they had made in the floor by removing some of the floorboards. While the upper half of Niccolo's body was hidden under the boards they had not removed, his lower half was still visible.

Zaccaria watched the older man pull himself from under the floor and sit up in the hole, drenched in water from head to chest. The younger _assassino_ gaped and Niccolo glared in response.

"The leak is still there," he declared irritably.

"I can see that." Both men turned to see an angry looking Beatrice standing at the doorway with only a towel on and her hands on her hips. Her brown hair was damp and had patches of white suds in it, and it hung in messy, tangled locks. She narrowed her eyes at the both of them and said, "When can I finished my bath? I still need to rinse my hair."

While Zaccaria blushed and averted his gaze, Niccolo just rolled his eyes and casually squeezed some of the water from his ponytail.

"Relax, _donna_," he said, twirling the wrench he was holding in lazy circles. "I have everything under control."

Beatrice rose a sceptical eyebrow. "Uh huh, right. Well, so long as you get it fixed soon so that I can finish my bath."

"Tch, why don't you just finish bathing in the river, _stupido_?" He grumbled the last part under his breath. Beatrice seemed to not hear him, for she did not retort with a haughty comeback, and he was partly thankful he had not started anymore trouble.

Sighing, Niccolo ducked back into the hole. Zaccaria snapped back to reality as he heard the older man ask for a screwdriver, his waving hand sticking out of the floor.

"Do you think there might be something blocking the pipe?" Zaccaria asked as he gave the assassin-turned-plumber his requested tool. "Maybe it's not just a leak."

"Maybe," Niccolo grunted, he voice muffled. "Makes sense seeing as if it was just a leak, there would at least be a few drops of water coming out from the tap."

"If there _is_ something stuck in the pipe, how're we going to get it out?"

Zaccaria blinked as a quiet chink was heard followed by a louder "aha!". He crouched by the hole and tipped his head in question. It took a few moments and some frustrated grunts, but Niccolo eventually re-emerged from the hole. He looked a bit flustered, but also victorious.

"You were right," he said, grinning. "There _was_ something blocking the pipe!"

"What was it?"

"_Un pesce_!"

"_Mi scus_ –"

Zaccaria yelped as what appeared to be a bloated, half-rotted fish was shoved in his face. His hand flew to his mouth and he abruptly fell back onto his rump. Niccolo let out a barking laugh as he withdrew his hand and stood. The younger _assassino_ glared at him from his spot on the floor.

"Get dat out of 'ere!" Zaccaria said, pinching his nose. "It smbells awful!"

Niccolo snorted. "Wimp, you haven't smelled awful until you've cleaned the facilities of the Hog's Hide _Taverna_."

"What's –"

"Niccolo, did you fix the _stupido_ bath yet?" Both men turned to see Beatrice standing at the doorway of the bathroom once again. However, her glare soon turned into a look of disgust and her nose wrinkled in obvious distaste.

"_Salute_, Beatrice," Niccolo said with a devilish grin as he waved the fish around.

"What are you holding?!"

"_Un pesce_. Do you not know what a fish is when you see one?"

Beatrice stiffened as Niccolo took a step towards her. She was ready to bolt if she had to. "I know what a fish is! Why are you holding it though? And why does it look so… so _strano_?!"

"What, you do not like fish? Come on, B! This one's been stewing in the pipes for a good while now. We should cook it up for dinner, no?"

Beatrice held her towel protectively around herself as the latter started to saunter over to her, the fish being held out and waved around in an unsuccessful attempt at enticement. "Niccolo, I swear if you – Niccolo, get that _pezzo di merda_ away from me!"

Niccolo laughed. "Aw, you're hurting its feelings. Fish is good for you! Come on, just one bite. _Per favo_ –" He was cut off as he stepped on a stray screwdriver. With a surprised yell, Niccolo fell back as he blindly grabbed for something to break his fall, except the only thing that _was_ there happened to be Beatrice's towel. The woman scream as her cover was ripped away, and he was pulled down after Niccolo in an attempt to grab the cloth back. Meanwhile, the fish had flown out of Niccolo's grasp, and was sent soaring across the room. Zaccaria, who was bent over the toolbox, looked up at the sudden commotion only to be hit square in the face by said fish.

"_DIO MIO_!" he exclaimed, flailing around helplessly. Unfortunately for him, Niccolo was too busy getting his butt kicked by a _very_ angry and flustered Beatrice to take any notice to the younger _assassino_, who was now beginning to have an anxiety attack.

As all of this was going on, Raffaele had just awoken from a nap and had to use the little _assassino's _room. However, his head was too foggy from sleep to take any notice of the chaos coming from the washroom. Padding down the hall to go relieve himself, he entered the bathroom, stepped over the squabbling _militi_, walked past his hysterical partner, and stopped in front of the chamber pot. After relieving himself, Raffaele then ignored everything going on around him again and padded back down to his room. He was fast asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Beatrice eventually grew tired of beating Niccolo to a pulp –she left, deciding to finish her bath elsewhere-, and Zaccaria eventually calmed down enough to throw the dead fish out of the bathroom window –into the _Tevere_\- and help Niccolo to the _dottore_. Needless to say, it had been quite the day.

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**A/N: Niccolo is one of those people who can figure out how to fix pretty much anything. He's very versatile. Poor Zaccaria though, he seems to get dragged into conflicts between his two seniors. Also, don't forget to check the character stats on my profile after every chapter! Sometimes I'll update their ranks and such even if it isn't mentioned in the story. ^^ Thanks for all the hits so far! It would be great if you could drop a review! Also, don't forget you can leave an idea for a chapter!**

**Please read, review, fav, and follow!**

**CMilk out!**


	4. Don't Play Me a Love Song

**A/N: Hello! Today we have a short chapter, mostly because I'm using this one to lead up to a future installment, so, look forward to that. ;) No reviews to reply to this time around, but _Noia_ got a few follows, so thank you for that! :D Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

**(See end for further notes)**

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Chapter 4: Don't Play Me a Love Song

It had been a quiet day in the Tiber Island hideout. The sky was clear for most of the day, but it had become cloudy during the afternoon, and finally started to rain into the evening. Ezio had taken it upon himself to take a small break after a rather troublesome assassination, and he also decided to give the rest of the Brotherhood a break as well. It was a rare occasion to have all the recruits at home at the same time. Usually at least one was off on a contract or aiding Ezio. Of course, the _assassini_ had decided to take advantage of their time together, and they spent the entire day chatting and bonding.

Raffele had also revealed himself to be an excellent chef, as he and Adel prepared a large, and extravagant dinner for their brethren. Unfortunately, there were two missing bodies; Ezio was still in his room, presumably still asleep after going up a few hours before for a small catnap, and Niccolo had left at lunchtime for a walk.

"Have you heard any word of Niccolo?" Adel asked as she set a bowl of tomato chutney on the large, wooden table. "He's missing the _antipasto_…"

"Sucks for him, but that just means more food for us," Beatrice said shrugging.

Zaccaria glanced out the kitchen window. The glass was streaked with rain, and the only sources of light he could see were splotches of yellow from torches and lamps. "I wonder where he got to..."

"Hopefully he's not stuck out in the rain," Adel added.

"He's not made of sugar, you know," Beatrice said around a mouthful of bread. "No one died from a bit of rain."

Zaccaria frowned. "What if he got caught by some guards?"

"You think?" Adel asked worriedly. Even Beatrice was quiet.

The recruits were just contemplating waking their _Maestro_ when they heard the door to the hideout open and close. They froze when footsteps could be heard heading down the hall towards them. Beatrice slowly reached for the bread knife and Raffaele's grip on the butcher's knife he was holding tightened. However, the tension dispersed quickly as a familiar voice floated into the kitchen, accompanied by what sounded to be a lute.

"Speak of the _Diavolo_," Adel said as Niccolo walked into the room. "We were wondering where you went."

"_Mi dispiace, bella donna_. I got… distracted," Niccolo answered, strumming a cord on the lute he was holding.

Beatrice snorted. "Where'd you get that? Did you steal it from a minstrel or something?"

A harsh, clipped cord was her answer as Niccolo glared and said, "Of course not! I steal money, not instruments. Besides, this baby is a _real_ lute! Not like the ones those tone-deaf _idioti_ use."

"Really now?" Beatrice said skeptically.

"Of course," he replied, pulling up a chair beside Beatrice. He reached over to the bowl of olives and popped one in his mouth before continuing. "I could make ten times the florins those street minstrels make in an hour in half the time."

"Oh, then in that case, maybe you could serenade us before dinner," Adel said, sitting across from Niccolo and her cousin.

Zaccaria grinned and rested his elbows on the table from his place at the head. "Yeah, if you're really as good as you claim to be, I'd like to hear it."

Niccolo grimaced and glanced at his friends' keen faces. "Er…"

"Perhaps he was exaggerating," Rafaele smirked, sitting across from Zaccaria after setting a large antipasto platter on the table.

"I was not!" the other man snapped. "It's just… I haven't played in a while is all."

Beatrice sniggered. "Yeah right, nice try. You can't play after all, can you?"

"I didn't say that! I can play!"

"Prove it," the _assassina_ said crossing her arms.

"Fine! You wanted a song, I got a song for you," Niccolo growled. Strumming the worst melody he could think of, he belted out lyrics completely out of tune. "Beatrice Simoni is a woman of nightmares. She's worse than the most ferocious of bears. You judge my lute playing skills even though I am far superior to you in every way –"

"That doesn't even rhyme!"

"-Oh, Beatrice, why are you so mean? Even though you have never seen. I am actually a very good lute player, and I think you owe me something for this song, I wager."

Zaccaria and Adel laughed while Beatrice glowered at Niccolo. "I owe you something?! That song was even worse than the ones I hear walking through town!"

"That was the point, _caro mio_," Niccolo said matter-of-factly while lazily plucking at the strings.

"_Stronzo_…"

Niccolo chuckled. "Love you too, B."

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**A/N: Basically pointless humor. Sorry if you did not enjoy this chapter as much, but, like I said, it is being used to lead up to something else. Also, poor Ezio is missing a home cooked meal. Oh well, it's up to you to decide if you think he woke up in time to get a plate, or he slept through dinner. XD Thanks for reading~! Also, feel free to leave an idea for a future chapter!**

**Please read, review, fav, and follow!**

**CMilk out!**


	5. Happy Birthday My Old Friend

**Hey yall! Sorry for not posting part 2 of the last chapter, but that'll come out soon! For now, have a chapter dedicated to a wondering and brilliant man! Leonardo da Vinci!**

**Edit: So yeah, went back and fixed grammar and some other things. Expect Raffaele's Secret part 2 to come out soon! :D**

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Chapter 7: Happy Birthday My Old Friend

"Um… Adel, are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Shh! Speak quieter," Adel said, making frantic motions with her hand. The fair-haired woman was standing in the shelter of a building, using it to hide behind as she snooped. Zaccaria frowned and looked to Adel before his gaze traveled across the market to a small stand selling fresh fruit. There were several shoppers crowing around the crates, but they were only concerned about one; one with brown hair pulled back by a bright red ribbon and a scar on his lips.

"He will sooner be seen than heard," Raffaele pointed out from his place behind Adel. He was leaning against the building with his arms crossed and his normal neutral expression on his face.

"That is why we are not wearing our robes, so it will be harder for the _Maestro_ to spot us," Adel explained. Despite that, she still grabbed Zaccaria's collar and pulled him behind the corner.

"Why can't we just leave him alone? He's obviously not doing the groceries for the Brotherhood; we might be interrupting something personal," the _servitore_ said, tugging at the back of Adel's shirt.

The _assassina_ turned and swatted Zaccaria's hand away. "That's _exactly_ why we should find out what he's doing! The _Maestro_ is a really mysterious person. Don't you want to learn more about him?"

"Learn what? If he's got a girlfriend or not? Come on, Adel, do you really want to know the details of his love life?"

"I'd be surprised if he's even got one," Raffaele stated. "I always see him at the_ Rosa in Fiore_."

Zaccaria quirked an eyebrow. "What –"

"Ah! He's gone," Adel suddenly exclaimed, cutting him off. "Come on, we have to find him!"

The _assistente _grabbed Raffaele's sleeve –he let out a startled yell at the sudden act- and dragged him off through the market. Zaccaria let out a groan, dragging his hands down his face, before following after his two friends.

The three _assassinos_ spent the rest of the day tailing Ezio; following him as he completed his errands. While he did not seem to be in much of a hurry, he did walk around with a sense of purpose and supressed excitement. They were almost caught on several occasions: one because Zaccaria bumped into some guards that wanted to cause trouble, and another because Adel had gotten too excited after watching Ezio buy some flowers from a little girl. By the time early evening rolled around, Adel, Raffaele, and Zaccaria had tracked Ezio halfway across Roma, and it didn't look like they would be stopping anytime soon.

They watched from a bench as Ezio took a horse of the nearby stables, and loaded it with all the things he had bought that day: fruit and vegetables from the market, bread and pastries from the bakery, a few (very expensive) bottles of wine from the winery, and the flowers he had bought from the little girl. He also packed a large blanket as well as a lantern. After Ezio mounted and set off at a trot, Adel jumped up and motioned for the two other to follow.

"Looks like he is going to meet someone," Raffaele said.

"It's going to be hard to follow him when he's out there on his horse," Zaccaria huffed, coming up beside Adel. "Maybe it would be best if we leave him be now."

Adel pouted. "But don't you want to see who he's going to meet?!"

"Yes- I mean, n-no! Well, yeah- I do, but –"

"Then come _on_!"

Before he could stop her, Adel jogged away after Ezio. Zaccaria turned to Raffaele for help, but the latter just shrugged. Heaving a sigh, Zaccaria ran after the _assistente_, his partner following close behind.

Using the various trees and bushes that lined the pathway as cover, the three recruits followed their _Maestro _to one of the small settlements outside of the main city. They were out of breath by the time Ezio came to a stop, and they had to take a minute to catch their breath. Once they were ready, Adel lead the way as she climbed up onto one of the buildings and watched as Ezio walked a little ways out of the neighborhood to a small cliff that was sheltered by a few tall trees.

"What's he doing?" Zaccaria asked as he crouched down beside Adel.

"Not sure," she mumbled. Raffaele soon joined them, and they watched as Ezio unpacked the horse and drape the blanket over the ground before laying out the food and drink, and lighting the lantern.

"Er, won't that catch attention?" Zaccaria asked, referring to the glowing light of the lamp.

"It's not very likely," Raffaele answered. "He picked a good spot, as it's sheltered from nearby eyes, but if someone spots it from a distance, it will appear to just be a part of the lights from one of these buildings."

"This is so romantic!" Adel gushed quietly. "I'm really curious to see what kind of girl the _Maestro_ has."

Raffaele rolled his eyes, and Zaccaria snorted, but Adel's moment of fan-girling was cut short, as Ezio began to walk towards the building they were watching from.

"_Merda!_ Get down!" Adel hissed, ducking behind the crumbled, broken wall of the second story. Zaccaria and Raffaele followed suite.

They thought for sure they were caught as they listened to Ezio walked right up to the building, but after a quiet ruffle of fabric, it was silent. Zaccaria was just about to peer over the wall when they heard another set of footsteps and a foreign voice.

"Ezio…?"

The three exchanged glances. The voice they heard did not sound like a woman's.

"_Buono sera_, Leonardo," Ezio greeted.

"And to you," Leonardo replied. "It is good to see you, _mio amico_. I am sorry for being late. It was difficult to get away from the guards."

"Well, you will have no further trouble from them. For now anyways."

"I've noticed there was an absence of guards this evening," Leonardo said. "What did you do?"

"I've just made sure they won't bother us during your _festa_."

"… My what?"

Ezio chuckled. "You couldn't have forgotten your own birthday, could you?"

A moment of silence passed between the two before Leonardo let out a surprised, but pleasantly so, sounding laugh.

"Ezio, you never cease to amaze me, _amico mio_!"

The three recruits quietly shifted so they could look over the edge of the building. They spotted Ezio sitting on the bench below them with another man donned in a fancy doublet, red cape, and red beret-styled hat. Adel's sudden intake of breath caught Zaccaria's and Raffaele's attention, and they gave her a quizzical look. She was staring down at the man on the bench with an excited and wide-eyed expression.

"Leonardo da Vinci!" she whispered excitedly. Unfortunately, she whispered a little too loudly, and the only thing that saved her from getting a throwing knife stuck in her face was Raffaele's quick reflexes.

"W-wait! _Maestro_, it's us!" Zaccaria squeaked before _Fiorentini_ was able to throw another knife.

The _servitore_ waved both his hands before slowly looking over the edge at a dumbfounded Leonardo and a furious Ezio. He gave the pair a sheepish grin as Adel and Raffaele appeared beside him.

"Um, Ezio, who are these people?" Leonardo asked.

The master assassin set his jaw and gave the three recruits a look that could kill. "These," he said motioning to them. "Are three out of the five assassin recruits that have joined the Brotherhood so far. As impressed as I am with them being able to track me here, I think they are a bit _too_ skilled for their own good."

Leonardo laughed and clapped Ezio on the shoulder. The younger man just grunted and put away his other throwing knife. He glanced up at the three assassins who were looking awkward and guilty at being caught.

"You can leave now," the master assassin said, a hint of annoyance still present in his voice.

"R-right," Zaccaria stuttered, bowing his head and disappearing from sight. After a quiet '_mi dispiace_', Raffaele followed his partner. Adel on the other hand, grinned down at the two men.

"That's romantic of you," she said. "I wish I had someone that would take me out on a moonlit picnic on my birthday."

"_Che cosa_?!" Ezio sputtered as Leonardo choked on his own spit. "We are _not_ together like _that_!"

Adel sniggered. "Whatever you say, _Maestro_!"

"Leave. _Now!_" Squeaking, Adel disappeared from the rooftop. Ezio let out a flustered sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"I'm sorry, Leonardo. Please forgive my immature recruits," he said. The artist just waved dismissively and smiled.

"It's alright," he said, holding his arms open expectantly. Ezio smiled and embraced his friend.

They heard a giggle come from behind a nearby building, followed by muffled voices and shouts of protest.

Ezio's eye twitched and Leonardo just chuckled in amusement.


	6. Raffaele's Secret

_**Ciao, amici miei!**_** Sorry for the long wait, but I had to make a few changes. So, as you probably noticed, this chapter is a re-write of the other Raffaele's Secret chapter. I kind of lost interest in the other one, but the principle's pretty much the same. I hope you enjoy~**

**See bottom for more notes.**

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Chapter 6: Raffaele's Secret

"Check mate."

"Seriously?! Again?" Zaccaria stared at the chess board in disbelief. Raffaele only smirked as he turned the white king around in his hand. Groaning, Zaccaria began clearing the pieces from the board, having enough of the game.

"Do not feel bad," the older man said. "I have been playing all of my life, and you only started a few weeks ago."

Zaccaria scratched his head. "I do not get how you can plan so far ahead."

"That is why I am the strategist," Raffaele chuckled.

The other man opened his mouth to reply, when a sharp smack on his head cut him off. Zaccaria yelped as he dropped the pawns he was holding.

"_Bastardo_!" Beatrice exclaimed, crossing her arms and glaring down at the _assistente_.

Zaccaria cowered under the elder's furious gaze. He had no idea what he had done to receive this, but he knew it could not be good. "What did I do?!" he squeaked.

"Don't give me that! You drank all the milk, _again_!"

"_Che cosa_?" Zaccaria sputtered. "But, I don't even drink milk!"

Beatrice scowled. "Yes you do! You've been drinking all of our milk for the past three days!"

"Who told you that?"

"Raffaele," the _milite_ said matter-of-factly. "At first I thought it was him, but _he_ was the one who said he didn't drink milk."

Beatrice and Zaccaria shared a sudden look of realization, and turned to Raffaele who, by this time, had slipped out of his fireside chair, and was already jogging from the armory. It took only a few moments for them to get over their epiphany, before both assassins scrambled after Raffaele.

"Raffaele! Get back here, _figlio di puttana_!" Beatrice yelled.

The _assistente_ knew about the verbal (and most likely physical) lashing he would receive if he listened, so, instead, he took a sharp right and quickly ascended the stairs to the entrance of the hideout. Zaccaria almost ran into Beatrice because of the abrupt direction change, but both assassins managed to recover and continue after Raffaele. Unfortunately for the fleeing man, as he wretched open the wooden door, he came face to face with the hooded Master Assassin himself, and, before either could react, Raffaele had bowled right into Ezio.

"_Che diavolo_?!" the elder man exclaimed, immediately recovering and rolling to his feet.

"_Maestro_," Beatrice grinned as she came to a stop in the doorway. "You caught _il piccolo stronzo_!"

Ezio's eyes flicked to the _assassina_ before moving back to Raffaele, who was being helped up by Zaccaria, only for the poor man to be punched in the gut by Beatrice. The younger _assistente _only sighed and pat his partner's shoulder in a half-hearted attempt at comfort.

"What was that for?" Ezio asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking. "Raffaele, you do not seem to be one to get on a woman's bad side."

"When he steals all the milk, he does!" Beatrice butt in.

The Master Assassin crossed his arms. "That explains why I could not find any yesterday afternoon."

"Also, why did you tell Beatrice it was _me_ who was drinking all the milk?" Zaccaria added, frowning.

Raffaele coughed and flushed in embarrassment as his gaze travelled to all three of the assassins standing around him.

"I, um… I used the milk for a family of cats I look out for," Raffaele explained. "They live in a building a few streets over…"

Beatrice raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Your family of cats went through fifteen bottles of milk in four days?"

"… There are a lot of them."

"Apparently."

Ezio chuckled and shook his head as he unfolded his arms and clapped Raffaele on the shoulder. "I'm sure the cats appreciate your thoughtfulness; however, perhaps you could maybe bump it down to a lesser amount? All this milk is beginning to get expensive."

Raffaele bowed his head as he uttered an embarrassed, "_si Maestro_", Ezio chuckling and shaking his head as he walked by and into the hideout. As soon as the Master Assassin was out of earshot, Beatrice whacked Raffaele over the head.

"That is what you get for lying," she said smugly.

Zaccaria rolled his eyes and gently punched Raffaele's arm, saying, "And that was for blaming me for the missing milk."

Blushing, the _assistente_ flashed an embarrassed smile. "_Mi dispiace_, Zaccaria."

"So," Beatrice interrupted. "Are you going to introduce us to these cats?"

Raffaele gave a secretive smile. "Perhaps one day. But, until then, we should get more milk."

Zaccaria laughed. "And who will be paying for it exactly?"

"Not me," Beatrice said.

"Do not worry," Raffaele chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I will pay for it."

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**In the original chapter, Raffaele was stealing the stuff for his cats, so it's almost the same as this. ^^ There will be a few more chapters to expend on his story eventually. Don't forget to leave a review! Also, feel free to leave a prompt if you have an idea for a story! :D**

**CMilk out!**


	7. Niccolo Squared

**Salute! How is everyone this fine day? I hope all is good for you. Anyways, I bring you a new chapter of _Noia_ today! This one was fun to write. I love messing with Machiavelli. XD**

**LucDeep:** Oh gosh. XD I'm an only child, but I drink tons of milk and I'm always getting yelled at to change the bag when I finish.

**See bottom for more notes.**

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Chapter 7: Niccolo Squared

"_Mi scusi, signorina_, but do you by any chance know where Niccolò is?"

Beatrice turned from the bookshelf she was staring at to come face to face with a hooded man in orange and brown robes. She instantly took note of his strange, violet eyes, and concluded that he must be the man people called, 'La Volpe'.

"Niccolo? Hmm, last time I saw him he was helping scoop horse shit out of the stables," the _milite_ said.

The Fox's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Niccolò is helping do what?"

"He's helping in the stable. The _Maestro_ put him there as punishment after he got into a brawl with the local blacksmith. Serves him right, too," Beatrice snorted.

"Forgive me, _signorina_, but I do not think we are talking about the same person," the Fox said, crossing his arms. "If what I am hearing is correct: Niccolò Machiavelli got into a fight with a blacksmith, and Ezio put him to work in the stables?"

Beatrice just about choked on her own spit as she realized her mistake.

**oooOOOooo**

"_Buon giorno_, Ezio," Machiavelli greeted as he past the Master Assassin on his way out of the hideout. Ezio stepped out of the way and nodded in return before entering the building. As he descended the stairs, he spotted Adel standing in the middle of the main room holding a lute and frowning.

"Is there something you need help with, _bella donna_?" Ezio asked, pulling off his hood.

The blonde woman turned to face the assassin. "Do you know where Niccolo went?"

"He just left. Did you need him for something?"

"The bugger," Adel muttered, snapping her fingers. Ezio stared at her in surprise. "Thinks get out of teaching me how to play lute is just this easy, eh? I'll show him."

"I did not know Machiavelli could play the lute," the assassin said as he watched Adel storm past.

"I'm not talking about_ Maestro_ Machiavelli," Adel said with a wave of her hand. "I'm talking about our Niccolo."

Ezio's mouth formed an 'o' shape in understanding as he watched Adel exit the hideout.

**oooOOOooo**

"How did I get dragged into this?" Raffaele asked, watching Niccolo pause his work to wipe his brow with an already sweat-stained cloth.

"You're Zaccaria's partner," Beatrice stated, pulling the _assistente_ back and out of the view of her fellow _milite_. "You need to support him in his endeavors."

Raffaele frowned. "I do not have a bone to pick with Niccolo… unlike the rest of you apparently."

Beatrice just snorted and crossed her arms while Zaccaria gave an embarrassed cough and Adel put a hand on her hip. The four assassins stood a little ways away from the stables where Niccolo was working, using a tree and a cart full of as cover. Adel and Beatrice held buckets of water while Zaccaria had his filled his with sawdust from the local carpenter's; Raffaele had a feeling it would backfire, and refused to take part in their prank.

It was Zaccaria who had mentioned it first. He had decided it was about time to pay Niccolo back for the time he threw the dead fish at his face, and Beatrice was the one who set it in motion. Of course, Adel couldn't help but be curious as to what they were up to, so she got decided to join them because Niccolo had forgotten about their lute lesson. It had been Beatrice who dragged Raffaele along, but the _assistente_ was just waiting for an opening so he could slip away unnoticed. That moment came when Beatrice, Adel, and Zaccaria began a disagreement about how they would lure the unsuspecting _milite_ into their trap.

As Raffaele made his escape, he spotted Machiavelli ride into the coral and hand his horse off to Niccolo. They exchanged a few words, and then the assassin recruit walked off to care for the stallion. Raffaele was contemplating staying to watch from a distance, but he immediately decided to return to the hideout when he heard Beatrice call Niccolo's name. He definitely was _not_ going to be involved in this.

**oooOOOooo**

Raffaele looked up from the map he was marking as the door to the hideout burst open, and a man soaked with water stormed inside followed by Beatrice, Adel, and Zaccaria. The three assassin recruits looked like scolded puppies, and they stayed a respectable distance away from the fuming man as his furious gaze quickly scanned the room. He spotted Raffaele in the corner and the _assistente_ swallowed nervously under Machiavelli's gaze.

"Where is Ezio?" he asked, his voice eerily calm.

"I do not know, _Maestro_," Raffele answered.

Machiavelli harrumphed and instead called out into the building itself, "Ezio! I request an audience with you concerning you recruits!"

After a few tense moments, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and everyone directed their attention to the weaponry doorway as Ezio and the Fox walked into the room. They froze mid-step when they spotted Machiavelli.

"What happened to you?" _La Volpe_ asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Your recruits thought it would be funny to throw water and sawdust at me," the soaking man said, glaring daggers at Ezio.

"I-it was not meant for _Maestro_ Machiavelli!" Adel blurted, immediately ducking her head as every set of eyes in the room were directed at her.

Machiavelli opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by the Fox as he took a few steps forward and said, "It also seems like you are lacking the sawdust you spoke of."

The younger man scowled as _La Vople_ gestured to his form, a poorly hidden smirk gracing his lips. Before any more conflict could arise, Ezio strode forward and pushed between the bristling Machiavelli and the amused Fox.

"Hold on a minute," the Master Assassin said. "I would like to hear the entire story, _per favore_."

The assassins' attentions were directed at the three recruits, the ones who were not there to witness the event eager to know just what had happened. The three exchanged uncertain glances, before Zaccaria stepped forward.

"It was my idea to play a trick on Niccolo to get revenge for something he did to me a while ago. Beatrice and Adel also had something they wanted to get back at him for, and so we came up with a plan," he explained, rubbing his arm.

Ezio began to say something, but Machiavelli cut him off saying, "I am curious to know what in the name of _Dio_ I did to you three."

"No!" Beatrice exclaimed, waving her hands frantically, "Our prank was directed towards the _other_ Niccolo: Niccolo Ciccone! Not you, _Maestro_ Machiavelli!"

"What about me?"

"Speak of the _diavolo_," Raffaele murmured under his breath as everyone turned to the main entrance where Niccolo had just descended the stairs into the main room of the hideout.

Niccolo looked around at the people assembled in confusion. He had just finished helping work in the stables, and he hoped to _Dio_ that he had not done something else wrong to get himself back there.

"Did I… do something…?" Niccolo asked, eyeing Machiavelli then shifting his gaze to Ezio.

Ezio chuckled and clapped the recruit on the shoulder. "For once, Niccolo, it was not you."

The Assassins eventually settled things between Machiavelli and the recruits, and Niccolo had a fun time laughing at Beatrice, Adel, and Zaccaria as they worked in the stables the day after. Even Raffaele decided to tag along, having avoided getting dragged into trouble once again. All in all, it was a good day for the Brotherhood, except for Beatrice, Zaccaria, and Adel, who now know how to shovel horse poop, and Machiavelli, who had to purchase a new outfit, because it turns out that his last one did not fare well against remaining wet for a prolonged period of time.

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**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved, followed! I really appreciate the support! If you haven't, don't forget to do so if you like _Noia_.**

**Until next time, _miei amici!_**

**CMilk out!**


	8. Niccolo's Story

_**Salve**_**! How are you all? Doing well I hope! Here is another update, and the last one for a while unfortunately (maybe, watch me contradict myself). School and work and all that jazz. Anyways, enjoy this chapter! I've been looking forward to this one for a while. :D**

**See bottom for more notes.**

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Chapter 8: Niccolo's Story

Beatrice let out a huff as she stumbled into the island hideout from the underground tunnel system. She looked worse for wear after being chased halfway across Roma by stubborn Borgia guards; her hair was matted and tangled under her hood, and her clothes were ripped and bloodied in several places. There were no serious injuries, but she would have a _dottore_ check them, after a nice, long bath that is.

After catching her breath, Beatrice strode further into the hideout, and her nose wrinkled when the sound of lute reached her ears. She really did not want to listen to Niccolo's purposeless strumming at the moment; however, as she got closer, the sound became clearer, and the music that filled her ears was not what she was used to hearing. No, this sounded like _real_ music; like something she would hear if she attended some fancy party with its own small chamber orchestra (not like she would ever be able to go to one of the aforementioned parties, though).

As Beatrice entered the main room of the hideout, thoughts of her future bath vanished for the time being, and she went off in search of the source of the music. It did not take her long to locate the source, but she stopped and had to do a double-take when she spotted Niccolo sitting cross-legged on one of the large, velvet chairs, playing the lute. Adel sat across from him, staring at the brunette in awe, her own lute sitting in her lap.

Beatrice stood in the entranceway with her mouth hanging open until Niccolo cracked one of his eyes open to look at her.

"Are you just going to stand there gaping like a fish?" he asked with a smug grin.

Beatrice's mouth snapped shut, and she crossed her arms and glared defensively. Niccolo only chuckled and continued to play. The female _milite_ continued to listen in silent brooding as her partner finished his previous song and started another. The notes formed a simple melody, but Niccolo added ornaments in several strategic places to accentuate certain parts and help turn the song into something someone might dance to. As she listened, Beatrice's eyebrows continued to furrow further and further in thought.

She waited until Niccolo finished the song with a _ritardando_ before speaking, "I did not know you could play lute." She felt so deceived!

Niccolo snorted and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Well yeah, I said so before, didn't I?"

"Well excuse me for not knowing you were a poor bard before you came here," Beatrice grumbled, failing to keep the embarrassed blush from her cheeks.

"I was _not_ a bard!" Niccolo snapped.

"Could've fooled me."

Adel rolled her eyes as she watched the tension build between her friend and cousin; Beatrice could not go five minutes without starting a conflict, and Niccolo was not about to back down.

Waving her hands to get their attentions, Adel said, "OK, OK, calm down, you two."

While Beatrice muttered obscenities under her breath, Niccolo hummed something in agreement, and began to strum a random melody. Adel watched in amusement as Beatrice took a few steps into the armoury, hesitated, turned to go back, then decided against it and continued on to plunk herself down on the couch across from the fire.

"Was it a long day, _cugino_?" the fair-haired woman asked with a sympathetic smile.

Beatrice grunted as she pulled off her hood and began unbuckling the various clasps and belts holding on her armour and weapons. "Those rooftop _bastardi_ just don't know when to quit," she grumbled.

Adel opened her mouth to answer, but she was cut off by Zaccaria as he entered the armoury and said, "I think Niccolo's playing is really nice."

"I was not talking about Ciccone," Beatrice said as Zaccaria set himself down on the couch beside her and Raffaele leaned against the wall.

"You weren't?"

"No."

"Oh…"

"He just heard '_bastardi_' and assumed you were talking about Niccolo," Raffaele explained.

Zaccaria flushed a bit in embarrassment as Niccolo let out a barking laugh. He was soon followed by the others, and, as the laughter died down, the room fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds coming from the crackling of the fire and the gentle plucking of lute strings.

Times like these were rare, especially during a time where snuffing out Templar influence was so important. The recruits were quickly climbing through the ranks, and, with every promotion, the longer and more difficult missions they were sent on. Niccolo was one contract away from being promoted to _discepolo_ and Beatrice was quickly catching up; the heated rivalry between them fueling her determination. Adel on the other hand, was climbing at a constant pace, but preferred the slow-and-steady-wins-the-race strategy. Raffaele and Zaccaria were also catching up to their fellow recruits. Zaccaria was the last to be recruited so far, but Raffaele had proved himself to be a loyal and supporting partner, as he waited until his companion was ready before being promoted; he would be the same rank as Niccolo if he had not delayed. Niccolo, Beatrice, and Adel had a feeling there was another reason Raffaele was content to progress slowly, but they kept their thoughts to themselves.

In the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the armoury, Beatrice was contemplating getting up from her comfortable spot and going to take a bath as she watched the flames of the fire dance around in the hearth. Adel was smiling to herself, her eyes distant, as she was content to lose herself in her own thoughts. Zaccaria was polishing his dagger while Raffaele's head bobbed lightly as he tried to keep from dozing off standing up.

It was Zaccaria who finally broke the silence with a question.

"So _where did_ you learn to play the lute?" he asked, looking up from his work.

"Believe it or not, I wanted to be a _musicista_ when I was younger," Niccolo said, pausing his playing and resting his lute on his lap. Adel took the opportunity to pluck a few strings for herself.

Beatrice couldn't help but snort. "You? A musician?"

"Hard to believe, I know."

"What stopped you from becoming one?" Adel asked, cursing afterwards as her concentration was broken and the trill she was playing abruptly cut off.

"That was good, try again. Relax your hand a bit more this time," Niccolo urged then answered, "The Borgia are the ones who put a stop to my dream."

Raffaele, who had pulled himself away from slumber at the start of conversation, muttered a curse on the Borgia. Despite his rare display of anger, no one said anything, for they all felt the same way.

"My parents died of sickness when I was very young so I was raised by my aunt and uncle who had taken over my father's _taverna_," Niccolo started, leaning back in his chair. "We were not rich by any means, but business was good, and we made a good living."

"When I was not working at the _taverna_ I was either skipping my schooling or following around the local musicians. I was apprenticing under a well-known lute player when a fight broke out at the pub. By the time I got there, the Borgia guards had beaten my aunt, pillaged most of our stock, and arrested my uncle. He was executed three days later along with five others."

The other assassins shifted uncomfortably as Niccolo went quiet. A pained expression flickered across his features, but it quickly passed, and he resumed his story.

"I took up my uncle's place at the _taverna_, and my aunt –bless the woman- did all she could to help, but with her husband gone, her health slowly declined, and I eventually convinced her to move out to the country to live with some family friends. Managing the Hog's Hide by myself was… difficult, but I managed."

"Oh, so _that's_ what you were talking about when you found that fish," Zaccaria said, recalling the time he and Niccolo had tried fixing the Brotherhood's plumbing. The results had been less than desirable, but the _assistente_ was dragged from his thoughts as Niccolo chuckled and nodded.

"_Si_, that's what I was talking about; the Hog's Hide _Taverna_. It was popular among the local denizens, and despite the odd group of Borgia dogs, it remained a good place for people to relax, socialize, and drink. Unfortunately, business dropped as time went on, and the Hog's Hide became a common place for Borgia guards to cause trouble. I only tolerated them because I was getting their money. I learned to deal with them, but one day things got out of hand between the guards and a group of angry protestors. I managed to move things outside, but the guards thought I was siding with the rebels –not that I wasn't- and they began attacking me."

"It was _Maestro_ Ezio who saved my skin. He asked me to join the Brotherhood, but I declined."

"You what?" Beatrice interrupted.

"I told him 'no'," Niccolo shrugged. "I was grateful he saved me, and owed him my life, but I could not just abandon the Hog's Hide. It was all that I had left of my family."

"Understandable," Raffaele said.

Zaccaria frowned. "If you declined his invitation, what are you doing here now?"

"The Borgia came back," the _milite_ answered, his voice hardening in obviously restrained anger. "They stormed my pub and claimed it property of the Borgia."

"And you let them have it?" Beatrice asked.

Niccolo snorted. "Of course not. I did not let it go without a fight, but there was only so much I could do. The _taverna_ was preserved, but I was beaten and would've been executed if I had not been saved by the same protesters that engaged the guards in the first place."

"Were you hurt badly?" Zaccaria asked hesitantly.

Niccolo shrugged. "Depends what your take on 'bad' is."

Lifting his shirt a ways over his stomach, Adel and Zaccaria sucked in a simultaneous sharp breath as Beatrice and Raffaele grimaced at the sight. An ugly scar cut its way across Niccolo's well-defined midsection, the edges jagged, suggesting it had not been a clean cut.

"One of them tried gutting me with a bread knife after I managed to disarm him," the _milite_ explained, pulling his shirt back down. "It didn't really work, but it hurt like hell."

"So, what did you do after?" Zaccaria asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Did you get the Hog's Hide back?"

"Does it look like he got the _taverna_ back, _stupido_?" Beatrice said, cuffing the _assistente_ over the head.

"No, I did not get it back," Niccolo interrupted, shifting so he could stretch his legs out. "I snuck back to the pub and found that it was crawling with Borgia rats. Trying to reclaim it then would have been a suicide mission. Instead, I decided to seek out Ezio."

Niccolo stared at the fire in determination, his hands clenching and unclenching on his lap. "We have not liberated the part of Roma my _taverna_ is in, but once we do, I plan on taking the Hog's Hide back."

"And you won't be alone this time," Beatrice said as she pounded her fist into her hand. "because we'll be there to help you"

"The moment is still a ways away, but until then," Niccolo grinned, "one step at a time,_ si_?"

Adel raised an imaginary glass in a toast. "Here, here!" she exclaimed.

The other recruits raised their own imaginary glasses. "_Vittoria agli Assassini_!"

* * *

**Everyone's stories will be revealed eventually. As of now, the only other character who has a back-story is Raffaele. Anyways, the poll is still up on my profile if you haven't voted yet. Also, if you like _Noia_, don't forget to review, fav, and follow!**

**CMilk out!**


	9. Horsing Around

**Ciao! I'm so sorry for the long absence. I did not think I would be gone that long! Anyways, it's summer vacation! That means more _Noia! _****Anyways, onto the chapter!**

**See bottom for more notes.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Horsing Around

"What the _diavolo_ is going on?"

Niccolo and Adel stood outside the entrance to the Tiber Island hideout watching the scene in front of them unfold with a mixture of fascination and bewilderment. At least four horses were loitering around the small stable across from the hideout while five more were spilling out into the narrow street, blocking people from moving about and snorting in irritation when the passersby tried to push through them.

"Do not ask me," Adel said, her eyes following a large, white stallion wearing Borgia armor. "I am just as confused as you are."

"Maybe they belong to the guards?" Niccolo suggested.

Adel frowned slightly and scanned the street. "If that is the case, then where are all the guards?"

"In a _taverna_?"

"Nice try, but there is no _taverna_ on the island," the fair-haired girl said.

Niccolo hummed in thought. He scratched his stubble-covered chin idly as he watched a large, chestnut mare nip at any horse who invaded her personal space. She was wearing a worn saddle with heavy looking saddle bags and a striped blanket. A travelling horse; one that would be used by a soldier patrolling the countryside. He spotted another one adorned with a fancy blanket and reins. Pretty red flowers were wound into its mane, and its tail was braided into an elaborate style.

"All these different types of horse in the same place," Niccolo thought aloud. "I wonder why they're all here."

The two recruits' attentions were drawn to a loud whiny that sounded before a perlino mare galloped into the street, the rider wearing a familiar set of white robes.

"I think we found our answer," said Adel, watching as the rider hopped off the back of the horse mid-gallop. The mare skidded to a halt as she almost bowled into the throng of horses already present.

Niccolo and Adel watched in surprise and amusement as the large animals migrated over Ezio once they spotted him. The master assassin smiled and greeted each one with a pat on the nose. He started chuckling when a few of the horses began to nose at pouches on his belt.

"Who knew the _Maestro_ was so good with horses."

"Yes, it seems there is a certain charm to _Maestro_ Ezio that draw things to him," agreed Adel. "Like these horses."

"And women," Niccolo grinned, eyeing a group of ladies giggling and sneaking bold glances at the assassin.

Adel smiled and shook her head. "_Si_, I think that is something we can all agree on."

* * *

**So, there's a story behind this chapter. I was playing Brotherhood (of course) and I was running around taking horses from stables and stealing them from people, but when I got back to the hideout, there were a bunch of horses in the stable and the street! I had fun watching the NPCs derp around XD**

**If you like _Noia_, don't forget to fav, follow, and review if you haven't already! Also, expect the next chapter out soon (maybe even tonight~)! I'm introducing a new character. You'll either love them or hate them. We'll see~**

**Until next time,  
****CMilk out!**


	10. The New Guy

**Yo! Sorry for the wait! This chapter turned out longer than I thought. Thanks a bunch for the favs and follows, I really appreciate it! Anyways, a new person joins the Brotherhood. How will they get along with the others? Read to find out!**

**See bottom for more notes.**

* * *

Chapter 10: The New Guy

"I still do not think this is a good idea," Beatrice muttered under her breath. She hovered by the archway to the initiation hall with her arms crossed and head bent. The beak of Beatrice's hood shadowed her face and hid the frown and suspicious glare she was directing at the Brotherhood's newest recruit.

Guido Tuccerini was somewhere in his early thirties and was simple in appearance. There was nothing about his character that stood out much. He was well-built, having worked at in sawmill before it was taken over by the Borgia, and his hair was a dull brown. It was cut in a way that suggested he had done it himself so it would just be out of his eyes; also dull and brown. The hair on his face was somewhat maintained, but it was still rugged like the rest of him.

However, it was not his appearance that evoked her mistrust, it was his personality. In truth, it was more the fact that she did not like him than actually being suspicious of him. He had suffered the wrath of the Borgia like the rest of them, and he had been saved by Ezio, just like the rest of them. Did he not deserve the invitation?

"He acted like we were not even there!" Beatrice spat, not even realizing she had spoken aloud.

Ezio was severely outnumbered. Guido and his brother had decided to pick a fight with three patrols of Borgia guards in one of the most populated areas in _Roma_. By the time Ezio had called for backup, two brutes had arrived as well as a horseman. The fighting had caused such an uproar that the Papal Guard had been alerted and a patrol of them were on their way. It was a long and exhausting fight, but the Assassins had won without any serious injuries.

The Master Assassin had been impressed with the Tuccerini brothers and invited them to join the Brotherhood. Lovino had declined, but Guido accepted right away, thanking Ezio profusely for saving him and offering him a chance to fight. The woodcutter was invited into the Brotherhood the same way the rest of them had been; however, he had not so much as acknowledged the rest of the assassin recruits, let alone thank them for helping fight off the horde of Borgia dogs.

"I can see you really like the new guy."

Beatrice snapped her head to the right where Niccolo had rested himself on the opposite side of the archway. His hands were shoved in his pockets and a knowing smirk was on his face. Beatrice's scowl deepened.

"Hardly," she said. "He acts as if we don't exist and that he is the only recruit."

"So he's a bit excited, he'll have to say something to us when the _Maestro_ does formal introductions."

Beatrice only grunted as her gaze travelled back to the head of the hall where Ezio was explaining the ranking system. Niccolo sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. She glared at him, but reluctantly let her fellow _discepolo_ lead her out of the initiation hall. Bickering could be heard from the main hall, and the partners exchanged a look before entering and strolling up to the medicine cart stationed in one of the corners of the room.

"What are you three going on about?" Niccolo asked, eyeing his fellow recruits.

"It's him," Adel answered, nodding towards Raffaele who still appeared to be having a heated argument with Zaccaria. "Raffaele got the worst wounds out of all of us, but he refuses to let himself be treated until he's seen to Zac's injuries."

Beatrice rolled her eyes and shoved herself in between the two _milite_. "Raffaele, Zaccaria's not going anywhere. Now treat your damn wounds before I treat them for you."

The younger recruited held his tongue and gave the brunette a stubborn glare, not moving an inch. Beatrice narrowed her eyes, daring Raffaele to disobey her. The tension between them grew and Adel and Zaccaria shared uncertain looks while Niccolo watched in amusement. He knew none of the recruits could win against Beatrice's death stare; however, Niccolo was impressed Raffaele had lasted this long. He was just about to intervene when Ezio and Guido entered the hall.

Adel waved to get the Master Assassin's attention. "Ah, _Maestro_ Ezio!"

Raffaele broke his glaring contest with Beatrice as the older men walked over, but muttered under his breath, "I still would like to treat Zaccaria's wounds first."

"We'll see what the _Maestro_ has to say about that, kid," Beatrice said, shooting him a smug grin.

"See what I have to say about what?" Ezio asked, looking at the recruits in confusion.

"They're fighting about whose wounds should be treated first," Niccolo explained.

Guido scoffed lightly, muttering a quiet, "how childish", under his breath. A tense moment passed between the assassins, as Ezio looked at the new recruit out of the corner of his eye, and Niccolo quickly, but discreetly, stepped in front of Beatrice. The brunette fumed angrily and resisted the urge to release her hidden blade.

Ezio was the one to finally break the silence, stepping forward and saying, "Raffaele, that wound on your head is still bleeding. At least get that looked after before you treat anyone else."

Raffaele looked about to argue, but he decided against it and let out a defeated sigh. He reluctantly fell into the chair and allowed Adel to begin dressing his wound.

"_Maestro_, perhaps we should do introductions now?" Niccolo suggested, wanting to defuse the tension between Guido and the rest of the recruits, if only just a little.

Ezio nodded. "_Si_. Guido, the men and women who stand before you have all suffered because of the Borgia. Each of them have their own reasons for fighting, but they all joined for the same cause."

"Niccolo Ciccone was the first to join," the Master Assassin said, motioning to said man. "And is currently the highest ranking recruit."

"_Piacere_," Niccolo said, flashing a friendly smiling and grabbing Guido's hand in a firm handshake.

"_Altrettanto_."The older man nodded in greeting and returned the handshake.

"The two ladies are Beatrice and Adel. They are the second and third highest ranked and Adel is our second _medic_o."

Adel grinned and waved before turning back to a fidgeting Raffaele while Beatrice gave a stiff nod. Ezio stifled a sigh; he supposed it would take time for Beatrice to warm up to the new recruit. Hopefully it would not take too long. If the Brotherhood was incapable of working together, they would not be able to defeat the Borgia.

"The one being treated is Raffaele," he explained, nodding towards the man. "He does not speak often, but he has a sharp mind and is our primary _medico_."

"And who's the kid?" Guido asked, motioning to Zaccaria who blinked in surprise. "Is he a currier boy or something? He hardly looks old enough to be here."

"Hey, who do you think you're talking to, _stronzo_?" Beatrice cut in before Ezio could say anything. "You should know that Zaccaria is the best at stealth assassinations out of all of us. He could kill you any time anywhere if he wanted to."

"Beatrice, it's OK," Zaccaria said, trying to calm the _discepolo_ down. "Guido did not know, and he has a point."

The man crossed his arms and hummed in agreement. Beatrice scowled.

Before Beatrice could retort, Ezio interrupted with a stern glare. "Hey, it's over and done with, leave it."

Tensions rose once again and defensive barriers were built. Ezio shook his head in defeat. Pulling his cowl back up, the Master Assassin turned and headed for the tunnel entrance.

"Machiavelli is expecting me," he said. "I will leave you to sort this out on your own."

Once the sound of the opening and closing of the tunnel entrance was heard, Beatrice immediately launched herself at Guido. The woodcutter let out a yell of surprise as he was forced to the ground, the back of his head hitting the hard stones of the floor. The feel of cold steel against his throat pull him out of his dazed state, and he stared wide-eyed as Beatrice lowered her head so they were millimeters apart.

"You better start showing some damn respect, you _pezzo di merda_," she hissed. "Or I will teach it to you myself."

"Beatrice, stop!" Zaccaria exclaimed, running forward and grabbing the brunette around the middle; however, she refused to budge.

"For _Dio's_ sake, woman, get off him," Niccolo commanded, grabbing hold of Beatrice's hood and hauling her off Guido. The woodcutter immediately sprung to his feet and retreated a few steps back, his hand holding the spot where Beatrice's hidden blade had been pressed.

Beatrice smacked Niccolo's hand away and left the headquarters without a word. Guido watched her go with a strangely calm expression. Niccolo let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand through his hair, turning and kicking at a roll of bandages that had fallen to the floor. After a few moments of awkward silence, Zaccaria coughed to get Guido's attention and took a hesitant step forward.

"Listen, I'm sorry for Beatrice, she's just-"

Guido held up his hand. "Save it. I don't care what her problem is. As far as I'm concerned, you're just a bunch of children fueled by revenge. If you want my respect, you're going to have to prove me wrong."

"Then you will have to earn ours as well," Raffaele responded, coming to stand beside Zaccaria.

Guido, crossed his arms. "Fair enough, but I'm still debating whether I should tell the _Maestro_ about the threat. I'm sure putting a blade to a fellow _assassino's_ throat is against the 'creed'."

"Then you have a lot to learn," Niccolo said.

Guido made an unconvinced sound in his throat as he turned and strolled towards the staircase leading to the street.

"I am going to the _taverna_," he said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'll see you lot around."

"So do you think he'll actually tell Ezio?" Adel asked once Guido had left.

"Who knows," Zaccaria sighed.

Niccolo shook his head and said, "Whatever happens, we're stuck with Guido for the time being, whether we like it or not. We just have to hope that he warms up to us."

"I guess so…"

"Come on, let's finish patching ourselves up then go find Beatrice so we can get a bite to eat together or something," Adel suggested.

"_Si_," Niccolo said, Zaccaria and Raffaele nodding in agreement. "That sounds _molto bene_."

* * *

**Well? How do you like Guido? Bit of a_ stronzo_ isn't he? Well, I assure you he is not going to be a character that people only hate. I will expand on his story and views, don't you worry! If you like _Noia_, consider faving, following, or reviewing if you haven't already! Thank you all for the support so far!  
**

**Before I go, I've updated the character list on my profile with ages and brief descriptions. I also made a new poll asking about the cast's back stories. If you have time, pop by and vote! Furthermore, I'm working on the a cover for this story, so look forward to that!**

**Until next time, **

**CMilk out!**


	11. The Amazing Carriage Race

**Yo! Sorry for the long wait! To make up for it, I bring you a longer chapter of _Noia_! I had so much fun writing this and I hope you have fun reading it!**

**Reviews:**

**Hihi:** Whaaat? My whole life has been a lie! Actually, I now that I think about it, I heard that somewhere. XD Oh well... I'm glad you enjoy it despite that!

**The Soviet Comrade:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you like _Noia_! I will continue to update!

* * *

Chapter 11: The Amazing Carriage Race

"Tch, all of us have a day off, but there's nothing to do!"

Adel smiled and watched her cousin throw her hands up in exasperation. She and the rest of the recruits were walking along the edge East Antico District. It was Beatrice's idea to go for a walk, and it was Adel and Niccolo's idea to invite the new recruit.

"It's a bit ironic," Zaccaria chuckled. "We all look forward to time off, but once we get it, we end up becoming bored."

Niccolo grinned and shrugged. "At least we get to enjoy time together."

"Most of it, anyways…" Beatrice muttered, shooting a glance back at Guido.

The man seemed not to hear, or was just ignoring her, as he trailed behind the group. Adel sighed and Niccolo rolled his eyes. Things had not gotten much better between Beatrice and Guido over the month he had been part of the Brotherhood. The only headway they had made was to be able to be in a three meter radius of each other.

Things were a bit better between the woodworker and the rest of them. He and Niccolo 'got along' the best, although Guido seemed to only tolerate his company and not have any interest in becoming friends. Adel was making an impressive effort to welcome the new recruit as well, and it seemed to be working somewhat, as the man actually tolerated her presence longer than he did Niccolo's, albeit not by much.

Raffaele was hesitant to socialize with Guido. It was not like he socialized much to begin with, but he had hardly said a word to the man. It was not hostility that cause his muteness, but Raffaele was guarded and the others suspected it was also because of Guido's tendency to pick on Zaccaria. Said recruit did not take the insults to heart though; if anything, he worked harder to prove his worth.

"So what do you guys want to do?" Zaccaria asked, breaking the silence.

Guido snorted quietly. "What's the point of going for a walk if you're just going to decided you're still bored?"

"It's nice to get out of the Hideout once and a while," Adel said before Beatrice could bite back with a sharp reply.

"You're out of the Hideout when you're on missions and contracts," Guido pointed out. "What's the difference?"

Beatrice spun around, walking backwards, and said, "The difference is we do not have to hide, _stupido_. When we're on a mission, we have to be stealthy in order to avoid detection, even if we are incognito."

"How to be an _assassina_ by Beatrice Simoni," Niccolo laughed.

The brunette glared and swung at her fellow _discepolo_ playfully.

"Hey, Beatrice, if you're going to write a book, you should ask _Maestro_ Machiavelli for advice!" Zaccaria said grinning.

"Are you kidding?" Beatrice snorted. "After what happened with his name and Niccolo's, I'm scared to even go near the man."

Niccolo smirked. "Oho! So the great Beatrice is _scared_ of something?"

"Shut it, _stronzo_!"

"Um, _mi scusi_!"

The group stopped walking and looked over to an old man standing in front of four two-horse carts. He was nervously wringing his hands and had a look of distress on his face.

"_Buongiorno_," Adel greeted with a smile.

"A-ah, _buongiorno_," the man said. "I'm sorry to be such a bother, but I was wondering if you could help me?"

"What can we do for you?" Niccolo asked.

"Well, you see, I had order four separate deliveries of lumber. I asked for them to be brought to me on different days, but some miscommunication must have occurred and I received all four at the same time," the man explained. "I do not have the money to pay for all this lumber at the moment and the men who delivered it just left their carts here. I was wondering if you could possibly—"

"We aren't going to pay for your lumber if that's what you're going to ask," Guido cut-in, crossing his arms.

Beatrice glared and opened her mouth to say something, but the old man beat her to it. "N-no no!" he said quickly. "I am not asking for money!"

"Then what are you asking for? We don't have all day."

The man looked at the group in dismay, starting to regret saying anything.

"Just ignore him," Niccolo said. "He's a bit grumpy today. Please continue what you were saying."

"If you're sure I'm not being a bother…"

Adel smiled reassuringly. "Not at all. We are actually a bit bored and in need of something to do."

"Well, in that case, I think you are good people for the job."

"Do you want us to find the _idioti _who ran off?" Beatrice asked.

The man shook his head then motioned to the carts. "I was hoping you could drive three of these carts to the mill for me. I will ride there behind you to explain what happened. I would drive them back myself, but it would take all day and, well, I'm getting along in age and my eyesight is not what it used to be."

"Getting old must really suck," Beatrice commented absentmindedly.

"B!" Niccolo hissed, elbowing the brunette in the side.

The old man only laughed heartily. "Ah, you are right, _signora_; getting old is not the most graceful thing a person can do."

"We'll be happy to help," Adel giggled as Beatrice flushed in embarrassment.

"Thank you, kids. The place you are heading is the Mascioli Lumber and Saw Mill. Don't wait for me, I still have to get my horse ready."

"If you can't drive a cart, then how come you can still ride a horse?" Guido asked as the others headed towards the carts.

"Show a bit more respect, boy," the man said, whacking Guido with his cane. "I'm not _that_ old yet."

The others laughed as the man limped towards the stables with a smirk on his face. Guido rubbed the place on his leg where the piece of wood had hit him and grumbled under his breath.

"Hurry up, _recluta_!" Niccolo called as he beat Beatrice to the cart Adel was sitting in. Beatrice scowled and tried to pull the man off the bench.

"Get off, Ciccone! I am _not_ riding in a cart with Tuccerini!"

"Just get in the other cart," Niccolo said, rolling his eyes. "It'll be a good chance for you and Guido to work some of the kinks in your relationship."

"Not in a million years!"

"You're not scared of him are you?" Niccolo taunted. "I thought you were stronger than that. But, if you really can't man up, then I suppose I will ride with—"

"Like hell I'm scared," Beatrice exclaimed, abandoning hope if claiming a seat with someone else and hopping onto the empty cart.

The brunette grabbed the reins and looked at Guido. "Get on," she ordered. The man glared at her, but reluctantly climbed aboard, sitting as far away from her as the short bench would allow.

"Now that we got the seating arrangements sorted out, let's head out!" Niccolo announced.

With a snap of the reins, Zaccaria had his and Raffaele's cart off with Adel and Niccolo's close behind. Guido eyed the reins in Beatrice's hands, but he decided to stay quiet.

The Mascioli Lumber and Saw Mill was located in the western part of the Antico District near the small settlement where _La Volpe Addormentata_ was located. Between their current location and their destination lay plenty of open country, ideal for a bit of friendly competition.

"Why did we stop?" Beatrice asked in annoyance.

Niccolo grinned as she pulled up in between him and Zaccaria. He tossed a coin in the air and said, "I have a proposition that could win you a little coin and some bragging rights."

"Uh oh," Raffaele said quietly.

"What's the proposition?" Zaccaria asked, eyeing the senior.

"Cart racing."

Beatrice narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are the stakes?"

"Like I said, money and bragging rights."

"That's it?"

"What are you thinking of?"

"I was thinking of something a little more risky."

"Like what?" Adel piped up.

"We could make bets?" suggested Zaccaria.

"Each of us puts 100 florins in the pot and whoever gets first place takes it all," Niccolo began. "Now we make bets."

"I'll start," Beatrice announced. "Niccolo, if Tuccerini and I win, you have to run through the _Piazza della Rotonda_ in a dress playing the lute."

Niccolo's grin faltered, but he quickly caught himself and said, "I-impressive… Do you want to add anything, Guido?"

"I suppose I cannot make bets against my partner..." Beatrice glared and Guido sighed. "In that case, if we win, Zaccaria has to stop eating all the fish for at least a month."

"But I don't eat fish!" the _milite_ exclaimed. "Why do people always accuse me of drinking or eating something that I don't even— Ow!"

"If we win, Niccolo has to pose as Adel's canvas and Beatrice has to kiss Niccolo _on the lips_," Raffaele said over Zaccaria's yelp of pain. The others eyed the two recruits, but Zaccaria was busy telling Raffaele off for stepping on his foot.

"Hell no!" Beatrice exclaimed. "I refuse to kiss that _pezzo di merda_!"

"Who knew under his calm exterior there was a mastermind," Adel giggled.

"The quiet ones are always the most cunning," Niccolo chuckled.

Adel raised her hand. "I'll go next! If Niccolo and I win, I want Raffaele to kiss Zaccaria on the lips!"

Raffaele choked on his spit and Zaccaria flushed a bright red.

"Why do you want them to kiss," Guido asked, making a face.

"I have my reasons," Adel said, laughing evilly.

"F-fine," Zaccaria interrupted. "If Raffaele and I win, Adel has to replace the _Maestro_'s robes with bright-pink ones when he's bathing _and_ she can't tell him it was a bet if she gets caught!"

"Wow," Niccolo laughed.

"No kidding," Beatrice said.

"That actually sounds kind of dangerous," chuckled Guido.

"I want Raffaele to actually go in the water next time we go swimming, and I want Guido to spar with me if Adel and I win," Niccolo said, crossing his arms and giving both Raffaele and Guido pointed looks.

"You're giving up the perfect chance to make Beatrice do something embarrassing?" Zaccaria asked in surprise.

"Who are you and what did you do to the real Niccolo?" Adel teased, elbowing the man beside her.

Niccolo chuckled. "I actually can't think of anything that tops Beatrice's bet at the moment. I'm just confidant that we're going to win, anyways."

"_Si_, as much as I would love to see the _Maestro_ in pink robes, we're the ones who are going to win," Adel said, taking the reins from Niccolo.

"In you your dreams, cousin!" Beatrice said.

"Hold up," Niccolo interrupted. "We should put some rules in place so nothing but our egos get hurt."

"No cutting into farmer's fields," said Guido.

"Or through populated settlements."

"Try to avoid guards if you can," Beatrice added.

Adel nodded then leaned forward to pat the creatures in front of her cart. "Also, don't hurt your horses!"

"And lastly, don't ruin the lumber supply," Niccolo said. "Other than that, it's a free for all!"

"Ready, set, go!" Beatrice exclaimed, snapping the reins before even saying the words. Guido let out a yell of surprise and held on for dear life as the cart suddenly lurched forwards.

"Wait, we're starting?" Zaccaria asked in confusion, but Raffaele already seized the controls and urged the horses forward.

"_Andiamo_!" Adel yelled, taking off after the rest as Niccolo grinned excitedly.

In the distance from where they had come from, the old man sat atop his horse and let out a sigh of amusement.

"Ah, kids these days…"

**oooOOOooo**

Niccolo and Adel and Beatrice and Guido were neck and neck while Raffaele and Zaccaria brought up the rear. Niccolo was yelling taunts at Beatrice and the brunette was yelling her own back. Guido on the other hand was looking at the road in front of them, something the driver was supposed to be doing.

His eyes widened as they rounded a corner and came face to face with a patrol of Borgia guards.

The duos pulled their carts in opposite directions as they stampeded past the patrol while Raffaele followed after Niccolo and Adel. The patrol shook their fists and cursed at them, but did not pursue.

"Adel, look how the road goes over that hill there," Niccolo said pointing. "It curves to the left after the hill. If we swing off and cross through the pass we can avoid tiring the horses and we'll be taking a short-cut."

"Good idea!" Adel said.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Beatrice exclaimed as Adel and Niccolo's cart left the road.

"_Addio_!" Niccolo waved with a smug grin.

"They're going to take a short-cut," Guido said. "Don't follow them."

"What? Why shouldn't we?"

"They're going to pass through bandit country and the grass is longer there so it will slow the cart down," he explained.

As much as Beatrice did not wanted to listen to him, Guido's arguments were strong. She reluctantly nodded and kept the horses on the road.

"Who do we follow?" Zaccaria asked uncertainly.

"Beatrice and Guido," Raffaele answered. "It looks like Niccolo and Adel are taking a short-cut, but Beatrice must be staying on the road for a reason."

Zaccaria nodded, trusting Raffaele's decision. The older man kept a steady speed as they climbed the hill. The horses were panting by the time they reached the top, but they were in better shape than Beatrice's who had foam around their lips. On the decent, Raffaele and Zaccaria easily caught up to the duo ahead of them and passed them, much to Beatrice and Guido's chagrin.

"_Stronzi_!" they heard Beatrice curse behind them.

"She's going to kill us," Zaccaria said, laughing.

Raffaele smirked and snapped the reigns. "Not if she can't catch us.

**oooOOOooo**

"Look, there's the road!" Adel exclaimed excitedly.

The long grass and hidden bumps had slowed them somewhat, but Niccolo knew they were still ahead of the others.

Niccolo let out a loud laugh. "We've got this race in the ba—"

"Fresh meat!"

"Get them!"

Adel yelled in surprise as two mangy-looking men jumped out in front of the cart.

"Bandits!" she exclaimed.

"Keep going," Niccolo ordered as a thump in the back of the cart caught his attention. "I'll make sure none of these _bastardi_ stop us!"

Adel nodded and snapped the reins, yelling encouragements to the horses. Niccolo turned and hopped into the back of the cart. He spotted a bandit almost immediately. The man gave him a toothy grin and pulled out an ugly-looking butcher knife. With a yell, he launched himself at Niccolo, knife raised high. The _discepolo_ stood ready, and he caught the bandit's wrist as he swung down. With one swift movement, Niccolo had disarmed the man and booted him off the back of the cart.

The duo burst out of the pass with the bandits in pursuit. They saw Raffaele and Zaccaria head up the road towards them and Adel pull on the reins in panic. The horses whinnied as they made a sharp turn to the left causing the cart to tilt. Zaccaria exclaimed something in panic as his and Adel's carts became close to colliding.

"Niccolo!" Adel exclaimed when she heard a surprised yell come from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Niccolo sprawled over the canvas-covered lumber.

"That's a good look for you, Ciccone!" Beatrice laughed as her cart came up behind the others.

Niccolo ground his teeth and hauled himself to the front of the cart, plopping himself beside Adel.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly.

Niccolo grunted in response.

"How did you guys like dealing with those bandits?" Guido called.

"You _knew_?!" Adel exclaimed.

Beatrice only cackled and urged her horses forward.

The three carts continued down the path in relative equality, sometimes a duo overtaking another before they had to slow to give the horses a rest. Insults were thrown around and taunts were made, but it was all done in good humor. Things changed when they encountered another patrol of Borgia soldiers.

"Stop!" the leader exclaimed.

"In your dreams!" Beatrice responded, charging through the patrol, causing them to leap out of the way.

"Get them!"

Loud yells drew the others' attentions, and Zaccaria looked back to see what the commotion was. His jaw dropped when he spotted three mounted guards quickly gaining on them.

"We've got trouble!" he yelled, turning to face the front.

Niccolo stole a glance over his shoulder than glared at Beatrice and said, "Nice going, Simoni."

"We need to get rid of them before we get to the mill," Adel said.

Pulling on the reigns, Adel and Beatrice slowed their carts down, allowing the guards to catch up to them; however, Raffaele did no such thing, and instead, continued forward at an even faster pace, much to Zaccaria's surprise.

"Shouldn't we help the others?" he asked his partner.

"Niccolo said it was a free for all, _si_?" Raffaele replied, shooting the younger man an uncharacteristically sly grin.

Zaccaria blinked in surprise and looked back at the others. Beatrice had shoved the reins into Guido's hands and leaped onto one of the guard's horses, pushing the rider off and claiming his mount as her own. Niccolo was rummaging around the back of his cart as the guard beside him unsheathed his sword and waved it around threateningly. When Niccolo had found what he wanted, he swung it around in a wide arch and clubbed the guard in the face, knocking him out cold. The third rider hesitated at the defeat of his allies, and decided to retreat instead of pursuing them any further.

"Peace, Zaccaria," Raffaele said, his smile turning soft. "I would not have left if I did not think they would not have been able to defeat them easily."

Zaccaria sighed and smiled back, patting his partner on the shoulder. "Adel and Niccolo were right, you are a cunning mastermind."

Raffaele chuckled and snapped the reins, he and Zaccaria having a good lead over the others.

**oooOOOooo**

The mill was coming up fast, signalling the last leg of the race. Raffaele and Zaccaria were still in the lead with Guido trailing behind them and Adel and Niccolo quickly catching up to him. It looked as though the two _milite_ would take first place when out of nowhere charged Beatrice, still on the guard's stolen horse. She barrelled past the stunned recruits and skidded to a halt beside the mill's sign.

"I won!" she exclaimed, laughing loudly and earning looks of bewilderment from the workers.

"Not yet you haven't," yelled Niccolo. "You need to be _on_ your cart when you pass the finish line!"

"What?!"

Niccolo laughed as he and Adel overtook Guido and past the sign after Raffaele and Zaccaria.

"So said nothing about having to be on the cart," Beatrice exclaimed angrily.

Niccolo shrugged and said, "I didn't think I had to. It was a _cart_ race after all, not a horse race."

"No way!"

"Yes way!" Zaccaria exclaimed. "That means Raffaele and I win and Beatrice has to kiss Niccolo _on the lips_!"

"_Cazzo_!" Beatrice swore, throwing the reins of her poor horse to the ground and stomping on them.

"Don't forget that Adel has to replace the _Maestro's_ robes," added Raffaele smugly.

"And, since we crossed the finish line after Raffaele but before Guido, our bets towards the _milite_ don't count, but the ones towards Beatrice and Guido do!" said Adel excitedly.

"That's not much," said Raffaele. "Guido only has to spar with Niccolo. The rest of them were directed towards Zaccaria and me."

Niccolo shrugged then turned to Beatrice with a grin. "So, B, when do I get that kiss?"

"Go to hell, Cicco—"

"You children made it!"

The recruits turned to see the old man limping towards them with a smile. A middle-aged women was trailing behind him.

"Wait, how'd you get here before us?" Zaccaria asked in confusion.

His question went ignored as the man introduced the woman behind him instead.

"This is Carmela Mascioli," he said. "She runs the mill with her husband."

"_Buongiorno_," Niccolo greeted.

"I hope you did not damage any of the lumber," Carmela replied. Raffaele and Guido snickered at the woman's blatant shoot down of Niccolo's greeting.

"It should be fine," Adel said. "We made sure that the safe arrival of the supply was our top priority."

Carmel nodded. "Good. You can leave the carts where they are, we'll take care of the rest."

The old man motioned to the recruits, and he led them away from the carts so the lumber workers could do their work.

"_Grazie mille_," the old man said. "You saved me a lot of trouble today."

"_Non problema_," Niccolo said.

"I'm afraid I have not much to pay you with…"

"You're telling us this now?" Guido asked, raising a brow.

"It's alright," Adel cut in.

"_Si_, winning the race was enough of a reward," Zaccaria added.

The old man smiled. "If you're sure."

"Oh, we are," Raffaele said, smirking as Niccolo made kissing faces at Beatrice.

"Alright, I'm convinced. _Grazie_ _ancora_ for what you did," the old man said.

"You're welcome," Adel called happily.

The recruits waved as they walked away from the mill towards the nearby settlement.

"So… what do you guys want to do now?" Zaccaria asked.

"Bored again? How childish…" Guido snorted; however, when Raffaele went to glare at the man, a small smile was on his lips and the _milite_ relaxed.

"We should go drinking," Niccolo suggested, slinging an arm each around Raffaele and Zaccaria. "These two's victory deserve a toast!"

"I can drink to that," Adel laughed.

Beatrice scowled. "Tuccerini and I will win next time, and when we do, Niccolo will have to run through the _Piazza della Rotonda_ wearing a dress and playing the lute _and_ kiss a Borgia guard!"

Niccolo barked out a laugh. "I will take you up on that, _after_ you give me my kiss!"

"Shut it, Ciccone!"

* * *

**Bit of an abrupt ending, but I couldn't think of what to write; whatever came out just sounded too cheesy! Ah well, whatever. Anyways, character development, intense bets, and Adel is a yaoi fangirlwut? Again, this chapter was so fun to right, especially the scene where they were deciding each other's bets. In all honesty, I would love to write Niccolo running around in a dress playing the lute. Too bad Beatrice and Guido didn't win. Maybe next time. ;D**

**If you like _Noia_, maybe you could follow, fav, or review? Thank you everyone for your support! I really appreciate it and it makes me happy knowing I can provide entertainment for you guys!**

**One last thing, there's a pole on my profile that has to do with the next back story! Drop by and vote if you get the chance! I also added a few people to the character list.**

**CMilk out!**


	12. Beatrice's Story

**Ciao~ How is everyone today? I have returned with another chapter of _Noia_ for you all! Hope you enjoy!**

**Reviews:**

RiverWing21287: **Of course! I have that planned as a future chapter! I look forward to writing it ;D**

* * *

Chapter 12: Beatrice's Story

"Whew, tonight was exhausting!" Zaccaria yawned, falling gracelessly onto the plush couch in front of the fireplace.

"Tell me about it," Beatrice sighed.

"Who knew you could fit that many people inside a brothel," Guido said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

"_Madonna_ Maria and Claudia had their hands full tonight," Raffaele commented as he sat on the floor.

Beatrice lowered her cowl and ran a hand through her matted hair. "I certainly don't envy them. They needed all the help they could get tonight."

"Speaking of which," Guido said, cracking an eye open. "Why weren't you in there helping out or something? You are a woman after all."

"There's men that work there too, you know. Why weren't _you_ there?" Beatrice retorted angrily.

Guido held his hands up in peace and said, "Do you really think a big, burly man like me would fit in with the other 'men'? You would have no trouble fitting in if you put on a dress and some makeup."

"Are you calling me _una puttana_?"

"No, I'm just saying that you would look like one if you decided to cleanup."

"Why you—why don't you come here and say that to my face!"

"_O_kay," Zaccaria interrupted loudly. "I know Niccolo and Adel aren't here, but that doesn't mean you can start killing each other. Let's at least try to get along, _si_?"

Beatrice grunted and set herself down into the nearby chair as Guido closed his eyes again.

"When _is_ Ciccone and my cousin getting back, anyways?" Beatrice asked.

"They'll probably be gone another week at least," Raffaele said.

Zaccaria frowned and stared at the fire. "_Maestro_ Ezio sent them on a long contract. I hope they're OK."

"They'll be fine," Beatrice said airily. "Adel may seem like she has her head in the clouds a lot of the time, but she is determined and a hard worker. And, as much as I hate to admit it, Niccolo is also very capable. They make a good team."

A comfortable silence fell over the group as they were reassured by Beatrice's words. Despite the fights and disagreements the recruits started with each other, they all held a certain respect for their fellow Brotherhood members. They were aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and who worked well with who.

"Hey, Beatrice," Zaccaria said, breaking the silence. Beatrice turned at the sound of her name. "Why _didn't_ you work closer to _Maddona_ Maria and Claudia tonight?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes and Zaccaria quickly added, "N-not as a courtesan obviously, but as a servant or something?"

"Because that would require her to look decent and to wear a dress for once," Guido said smirking. Beatrice shot the man a glare, but surprisingly did not snap at him for his comment.

"He's half right," she said, shifting. "Even if it is a brothel, looking like a poor beggar is going to attract unwanted attention. The_ Rosa in Fiore_ is the most clean, most rich, and not to mention most expensive brothel in all of Roma. Not just any bum can walk in from the street and ask for service. If someone were to work there as something other than a courtesan, they would need to look like they belong there."

"In other words, even the person who scrubs the chamber pots would be dressed in high quality fabrics and accessories," Raffaele said.

"That's all well and good," Guido said. "But that doesn't tell us _why_ you didn't want to get dressed up."

"I don't do fancy," Beatrice said matter-of-factly.

Zaccaria leaned forward a bit and said, "Even when you're not in your assassin robes though, I've never seen you wear a dress."

"You're being awfully nosy tonight," Beatrice said, giving the _milite_ a pointed look.

"_Mi dispiace_," Zaccaria quickly mumbled, shrinking back under his senior's piercing gaze.

After a few moments spent studying the younger man's face, Beatrice sighed and looked at the fire. "I have only worn a dress a few instances in my life."

Zaccaria perked up at Beatrice's words, as did the other recruits.

"I grew up on a farm in the Tuscany countryside. I was an only child, but I had Adel and my other cousins. Our farms were right beside each other and we spent almost every day together. We were working families, so both the men and women were expected to pull their own weight, whether it be taking care of the animals or working in the field. I wore a dress when I was a very small child, but it was quickly abandoned as I grew a bit older and kept getting it dirty. Adel lasted a bit longer than I did, but we both eventually ended up wearing pants and shirts," Beatrice explained, a smile appearing on her face at the memories.

"Adel still wore dresses on occasion, but as I aged, I found I couldn't stand wearing a dress. I was my mother's bane for quite some time before she finally gave up and accepted that I would rather run around and wrestle with my cousins than sit and have tea with her and my aunt."

"You said 'cousins'," Zaccaria said. "Did Adel have siblings?"

Beatrice nodded and waved her hand in dismissal. "She had three brothers. We were all pretty close; however, my family moved to Spain and we fell out of contact with almost everyone we knew in Italia. If you want to know more about them, ask Adel."

"How old were you when you moved to Spain?" Guido asked.

"Eight, I think. I forget the reason why my father moved us there, but it was not the best time in my life so I probably blocked most of it out. I do know, however, that it was there that I made the decision to never wear a dress, or anything of that sort, again." Beatrice trailed off, a haunted look passing over her features.

Zaccaria and Guido exchanged glances. The younger man had never seen Beatrice with such an expression, and he regretted mentioning anything at all. Just because Niccolo freely talked about his past did not mean the others would as well.

"I eventually left Spain to return here to Italia," Beatrice stated suddenly, the haunted look disappearing completely from her face. "I reconnected with Adel and I worked as a currier for a bank before the Borgia _bastardi_ decided to close them all. Life was pretty mundane, but I was content with it."

Guido slid to the ground to lean against the wall since his leg was falling asleep and asked, "So what changed your mind?"

"About what?" Beatrice inquired, raising an eyebrow. "You've got to be more specific, Tuccerini."

"If you were happy with your mundane life, then why did you join the Brotherhood?" Guido specified as he rolled his eyes.

"A dress," the brunette stated.

"A dress?"

Beatrice nodded in confirmation. "A group of Borgia dogs were patrolling the market while Adel and I were shopping. She was wearing a nice, peach-coloured dress that day because she was supposed to be meeting a few friends or something. Anyways, the guards began harassing her and she politely told them she was not interested –you know her—, but they apparently did not get the message and started getting physical."

"I won't get into detail, but I kindly told them to fuck off and stuff happened. Luckily for Adel, _Maestro_ Ezio was there and he saved her from those _maiali_. I joined the Brotherhood because I wanted to be able to prove to men like those guards that women are more than just sex objects they can take advantage of."

Guido opened his mouth to say something, but he hesitated when he realized Beatrice was shaking. Her face was calm and stoic, but her eyes burned with a fury that appeared to be fueled by one thousand suns and her hands were clenched so tight that that her knuckles had turned white. He decided that he would ask his question to Adel to avoid feeling the wrath of a blood-thirsty tigress.

"That is all I have to say on that subject," Beatrice, her voice eerily calm. "I'm going to bed."

I chorus of 'good-nights' followed the _discepolo_ out of the armoury before the room went silent except for the crackling of the fire.

"There is more to the story than she is letting on," Raffaele stated after a moment.

"That's obvious," Guido said. "But I'm sure as hell not going to ask her about it."

Zaccaria tugged at a loose thread from his robes absentmindedly and said, "I feel guilty for being nosy, but I'm really curious now. Maybe we should ask Adel about it when she returns."

Guido nodded in agreement while Raffaele's silence was his form of confirmation.

"Well, I'm off to the _taverna_," Guido said, standing and stretching.

"Don't stay out too long," Raffaele said as the older man began to walk away. "We have training in the morning."

The _milite_ chuckled when they heard Guido curse and storm the rest of the way out of the hideout. They knew that even though he grumbled and complained about it, Guido would be back by a reasonable time and ready for training in the morning.

* * *

**I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but it leads the way into Adel's story which will be in the next chapter. Also, I still don't know how to end chapters X'D**

**Anyways, if you like _Noia_, it would be great if you reviewed, faved, or followed! Also, feel free to leave a prompt for a chapter and I'll see what I can do! Thanks for reading!  
**

**CMilk out!**


	13. Filling in the Holes

**Ciao~! Long time no see eh? I'll explain my sudden absence at the bottom! For now, have a kind of depressing chapter of _Noia_!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Filling in the Holes

"Home, sweet home," Adel stated happily as her and Niccolo descended the stairs into the Isola Tiberina Hideout.

"It's good to be back," Niccolo agreed.

The two recruits had just returned from a contract in Constantinopli. It was Adel's third time in the city and Niccolo's first. That was the reason why Ezio had paired them together for their mission. It had been a long and difficult process, but the duo had managed to successfully complete it and they were glad to be back in Roma.

Zaccaria, who had been sitting and writing in the Brotherhood's record book, look up at the sound of his fellow recruits' voices. He smiled when Adel and Niccolo entered the main room and said, "_Salute_, you two!"

"Zaccaria!" Adel exclaimed with an enthusiastic wave.

"_Salute_," Niccolo greeted back, grinning.

Zaccaria dropped the quill he was holding into an inkpot and pushed his chair back.

"How did your mission go? Did you like Constantinople?"

Adel set her bag down and said, "It went well. There were a few bumps here and there, but Niccolo always had a plan if something went wrong. It seemed like he had spent his entire time plotting all the possible outcomes."

"You give me too much credit, _cara_," Niccolo chuckled. "I was in awe of the city the whole time. Constantinople is a beautiful place, not to mention the variety of people that are there. They don't call it the 'crossroads of the world' for nothing. I would love to go back."

"Hmm… now that I think about it, you did spend a fair amount of time chatting up some of the local_ donne_," Adel said, smirking.

Niccolo laughed and rubbed his neck. "_Si_, the Romanies were particularly interesting."

"I hope you didn't make my cousin do all the work while you were messing around with a bunch of courtesans."

The three recruits looked around as Beatrice walked into the room, Raffaele and Guido trailing behind her with their arms full of groceries.

"Of course not," Niccolo said, feigning offence. He slung an arm around the blonde woman and pulled her close. "I will always pick _Madonna_ Adel if I have the choice."

Beatrice scowled and unsheathed her hidden blade. "Hands off her, Ciccone."

Adel laughed and ducked out from under Niccolo's arm. She walked over to the brunette and they exchanged a quick hug before Adel stepped back and said, "Don't worry, Niccolo is not my type. Besides, men are the last things on my mind at the moment."

"You say that, but you spend ample amount of time stalking either the _Maestro_ or Zaccaria and I," Raffaele muttered under his breath.

Guido, being the only one to hear him, gave the younger man a weird look out of the corner of his eye.

"So when did you get back?" Beatrice asked.

"We arrived in Roma about an hour ago," Adel said. "I would love to relax and take a bath, but my robes are in desperate need of mending."

Beatrice motioned to her cousin's bags and said, "Puah, give them here; I'll take them to the tailor's. I have to go back out anyways."

"My robes are a little worse for wear as well," Niccolo stated. "I'll come with you."

Beatrice grumbled something, but motioned for him to follow as she walked out of the hideout. The rest of the recruits exchanged a few more words before Adel stretched and announced that she was going for a bath.

As she walked away, Zaccaria exchanged a glance with Guido. The older man gave him a pointed look then nodded towards Adel's retreating figure.

"Adel?"

The blonde stopped and turned. "_Si_?"

"Ehm, can I… ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"A-actually, it's a question from all of us," Zaccaria hastily said, motioning to the two other men standing with him. "Do you mind telling us why you joined the Brotherhood?"

Adel smiled brightly and said, "_Si_, of course! Just let me take a quick bath first; I probably stink to high heaven and back!"

Zaccaria nodded and watched Adel's retreating figure until she disappeared from view. He turned back to the others and followed Guido into the armory. The youngest recruit sat in his favourite spot, on a red, plush couch, while Guido took the chair Niccolo usually sat in, and Raffaele opted to sit on the floor like always.

"That wasn't really the question we were going for," Guido commented. "But I suppose hearing Adel's story would not hurt."

Zaccaria shrugged and looked away. "Sorry, I didn't want to ask something too personal."

After about forty-five minutes of silence and bits of awkward small talk, Guido stood and wandered over to a nearby bookcase. Raffaele had been nodding off occasionally and Zaccaria watched in amusement as his partner's head slowly lower before the man roused himself only to repeat the pattern a few minutes later.

It had almost been an hour before Adel announced her return by waltzing into the armory with her lute and plunking herself down on a chair. Zaccaria snickered when Raffaele jolted awake and almost tipped over to the side. Guido looked up from the book he was reading at the commotion and set it aside before rejoining the group in front of the fire.

"Now," Adel said, strumming a random chord. "Is there any specific reason you want to know my story?"

Zaccaria and Guido immediately exchanged an embarrassed glance.

"Actually, there is," Guido said slowly, not wanting to upset the woman.

Adel only looked at them expectantly with a smile. Either she did not mind or was oblivious to their motives.

"When you and Niccolo were gone, Beatrice told us about her childhood and why she joined the Brotherhood," Zaccaria explained. "There were quite a few holes in her story and, well…"

Zaccaria trailed off and Guido rolled his eyes.

_This kid needs to grow a pair_, he thought.

"We thought you might be able to fill in the missing parts since she said you two were close when you were younger," the older man finished.

Adel hummed and plucked the strings of her lute in thought. The three other recruits waited in anticipation. Adel was definitely not someone who would react like Beatrice had, but everyone had their limits. Were they being too nosy? Yes. Would Adel mind? They hoped not.

"I suppose I could tell you some things," the blonde finally said.

The others let out sighs of relief.

"Listen closely, and I will tell you a tale about a girl and her dream to become a world famous artist!" Adel giggled. "Once upon a time there was a girl named Adel Sozzi. Adel grew up on a farm with her mamma, papà, and three _fratelli_. Her cousin lived on the farm next to her and they spent their days working and playing."

"Beatrice probably already mentioned this, but while we were kids, she refused to wear dresses; however, I still wore them when I wasn't doing something that would get it dirty. It was actually quite funny. When Beatrice's mother still thought there was a chance to change her daughter's mind, she used to force Beatrice to wear dresses, but the silly girl would have none of it! Beatrice would throw the thing off and run around in her undergarments until her mother agreed to let her wear what she wanted!"

Adel had to pause her story as she began giggling uncontrollably. Zaccaria and Raffaele chuckled from the mental image and Guido only snorted.

After her fit, Adel wiped her eye and continued, "Unfortunately, those good times could not last forever and Beatrice's father uprooted their family and moved them to Spain. It seemed to come as a surprise to all of my family, but after finding out the things I did years later, my father's reaction was particularly suspicious. He pushed for our lives to return to the exact same way as it was before, just without his brother's family."

"We never got anything from Beatrice or her family and it seemed as if their existence was wiped from everyone's memories. The people in town avoided talking about them at all costs; not even a whisper of them on the streets. I think every member of my family questioned my father at least once about Beatrice and her family, but he would just brush it off. Eventually, I think everyone just kind of… forgot about them."

Adel smiled sadly. "I love my family very much, but I can't help but feel some bitterness towards them for forgetting."

"Do you still have contact with them?" Zaccaria asked.

"Of course," the blonde said. "My papà died about five years ago, but my momma and two of my brothers live just outside of Milan. They're twins and the oldest out of all of us so I was not as close to them as I was my twin. He's somewhere in-"

"Wait, you have a twin?" Guido asked in surprise.

"_Si_! Hopefully you'll be able to meet him some day! He looks just like me!" Adel exclaimed excitedly. "He's a bit hard to pin down though; he really enjoys travelling. The last time I received a letter from him was when he was in Germania!"

"He sounds well-travelled," Raffaele said.

"Very much so! I think he and you would get along great!"

Cheered up from the brief discussion about her brother, Adel moved back to her story.

"As my older brothers grew older, they took over the farm and my momma and papà moved to Firenze to open up a permanent trading post in order to sell our produce. Matteo –that's my brother's name— and I were 17 so we were free to do what we pleased. I knew he was itching to travel, but he insisted that he stay with me for at least a year to make sure I was doing alright. We moved to Roma where we found this nice, small place being rented out by an elderly couple. We moved in and we both got jobs to support ourselves. I became an errand girl for a local architect."

"Wait, don't you want to become an _artista_? How come you didn't become an apprentice or something?" Guido asked.

Adel laughed. "Silly, all the reputable artists were and are still in Florence, except for _Maestro D_a Vinci of course. Besides, most people don't like my style of art. Painting is more of a hobby than anything else."

"Ah, OK," Guido said, nodding in understanding even though he still did not know why Adel had not tried harder to get an apprenticeship. Keep in mind that he had yet to see one of Adel's paintings, nor was he very knowledgeable about the arts business in general.

"Anyways, two years later my father, despite living a healthy life, became bedridden because of a horse riding incident. His health quickly decreased and I moved to Firenze to help my mamma take care of him. My brother had left a year earlier and fortunately he was in Italia. He got to be there for my papà's funeral."

Adel's mouth twisted into a bittersweet smile. "I am glad he was not there for his death," she said. "I am glad that… that none of the others, even my mamma, were not there. You see, before he passed away, he revealed what had happened to Beatrice and her family."

The room fell into silence and the male recruits shifted uncomfortably. Adel's face was passive and she looked to be in deep though as she plucked absentmindedly at the strings of her lute.

Guido cleared his throat and said, somewhat awkwardly, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No," Adel gave him a smile. "I do. It's something I think you should know and I have not talked about it to anyone before, not even my family."

Raffaele, who had been silent for the entire time, asked, "Are you sure?"

"_Si_, I am. I think it will be easier to talk to you about it anyways."

Taking a deep breath, Adel continued her story.

"Our families were certainly not rich, but we got by. We were better off than most of the other people around us though. My family was happy the way things were, but my uncle wanted more. He never had ill intentions, but he wanted the best for his family because he loved them more than anything in the world. He ended up getting involved with the wrong people and he could not repay a loan because the harvest that year was bad. The reason why he had moved his family was because the people wanting the money threatened to take Beatrice and my aunt."

"While they were in Spagna, my uncle did not want to risk writing to anyone in case the letters got intercepted; however, once every six months my papà got a shipment of supplies from Spagna. Apparently there were letters hidden in the order forms. That was how my papà knew the wellbeing of his brother."

"Wouldn't getting shipments all the way from Spagna be a little suspicious? I mean, you said your family ran a farm? What kind of supplies would you need from there?" Guido asked.

"Well, it was more of a travelling caravan of merchants than just a few people coming to our farm with the sole purpose of delivering things. Anyways, my papà always bought things from them before they moved on to other places in Italia," Adel explained. "I'm getting off topic though."

Guido nodded. "So did you end up finding out about Beatrice?"

"_Si_ and no," Adel said slowly. "I am not certain of anything, but… some very bad things happened during the time she was away and I have an idea. Because my uncle took very little of their belongings when they moved, they did not have much to live off of. They were poor, but, they were alive. One of the only things Beatrice had to wear was unfortunately, a dress. I know she could have stolen some other clothes, but I think the dress was a gift from her mother so she wore it to make her happier. My guess is that Beatrice was probably harassed by bad men, among other things, when she was in Spagna. Her resolve had changed so much when I saw her again, I think she-"

Adel cut herself off when she heard loud voices float in from the main room of the headquarters. The others jumped in surprise, so wrapped up in the story and forgetting Beatrice and Niccolo were due to come back.

"_And_," Adel suddenly declared, regaining the male recruits' attentions. "After Beatrice joined the Brotherhood, I decided to join as well."

The group exchanged looks and saw that Adel would rather Beatrice and Niccolo not find out what they had been talking about.

"Oi, _cugino_," Beatrice said as she walked into the armory. "How come you didn't wait for us to tell your Brotherhood story?"

Adel giggled. "Sorry, but it's not even that exciting, especially compared to yours and Niccolo's."

"_Si_, I suppose," Beatrice admitted, sitting on the arm of Adel's chair. "You didn't even know what you would be useful for. I think even _Maestro_ Ezio was reluctant to let you join."

The women shared a laugh.

"Now look at her though; a master of reconnaissance and crossbows!" Niccolo exclaimed as he leaned on the back of Guido's chair, much to the older man's chagrin.

Zaccaria laughed. He watched with a smile as his friends poked fun at each other. Despite knowing about Beatrice's past, his opinion of her did not change, and he guessed that none of the others' did as well.

* * *

****Hello again, sorry for the sudden absence. I'm in charge of my school's Remembrance Day ceremony presentation so my life has basically been school and video making for the past month. UmU; ANYWAYS~ Unfortunately, I'm still on hiatus until after RD (November 11th), but I felt really bad about not updating!****

****ALSO! I have a very important question for you guys. There's a poll up on my profile about it, but you can also let me know of your opinion on a review. I'm thinking about making an ask-blog for the cast of this series! Have ever wanted to know the recruits' thoughts and opinions of one of the chapter's events? Do you have unanswered questions about them? This blog could answer all of 'em! (Unless they're a spoiler of course)****

****Please let me know what you think of this idea! The answers could either be drawn or written depending on how much time and motivation I have while answering~****

****Aaaand, I think this author's note is long enough, so, thanks for all the favs and follows! I'll see you next time!****

****CMilklol out!****


	14. The Bets Part 1

_**Ciao~!** **How is everyone? Long time no see! Today I bring you another chapter of Noia! This one was super fun to write, and you can probably guess what it is going to be about by the title. ;D Anyways, enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom!**_

_**Reviews:**_

_**Carry2Sky:**_Thanks so much! I glad you love it! I hope you continue to enjoy my little jem!

* * *

Chapter 14: The Bets Part 1

Niccolo whistled a generic tune as he shovelled hay into another horse's feed trough. He volunteered at the stables when he got the chance because he felt guilty about all the horses the Brotherhood kept there. The owner was happy to have the extra business, but with all the horses that Ezio used, Niccolo knew they appreciated an extra hand.

A loud whiny caught his attention, and he looked up to see the Master Assassin himself cantering into the stables. Niccolo rolled his eyes as the man handed off _another_ horse to the already overwhelmed stableman. The recruit waved Ezio over then leaned against his pitchfork.

"_Salute Maestro_," Niccolo greeted. "How did it go?"

Ezio let out a weary sigh and said, "It is done."

Niccolo laughed. "You look a little worse for wear. What was it that you had to destroy this time? A 'flying'… machine?"

"_Sì_, and it is not as wonderful as it sounds," Ezio grumbled. "Despite how useful it would be, flying it twice in a lifetime is more than enough."

"Sounds like you deserve a rest, _Maestro_. Everyone's out of the headquarters right now so it'd be a good time to take a bath," Niccolo suggested.

"_Bene_. I was supposed to meet with Leonardo; however he can wait for a while longer."

Niccolo watched Ezio's retreating figure until he disappeared from view then let out a breath. As he went back to his work, he felt guilty about what he had just done; although only slightly.

"Oi, Ciccone!"

The recruit paused his work and looked over at a nearby tree. He spotted Beatrice waving her hand to get his attention.

_Could she be any more obvious?_ he thought. _This is why you're always being yelled at_ _to be more inconspicuous._

After shooting a glance in the direction Ezio disappeared, Niccolo abandoned his post and sauntered over to the tree.

"Did Ezio get home yet?" Beatrice whispered once her partner was in hearing range.

"Mhm, he got back a few minutes ago," Niccolo said. "I sent him for a bath as directed."

"_Eccellente_! I will let Adel know."

"Wait! Beatrice, before you leave," The _mercenario_ flashed a devilish grin and said, "Seeing as Adel is paying her bet, how about you pay up yours? I could go for a nice, big smooch on the lip right about now."

The brunette scowled and directed a very rude gesture towards the man before storming off and yelling, "Go drown in _il fiume Tevere_!"

"Anything for you, _cara_!" Niccolo called after her.

As another figure disappeared from his view, Niccolo once again returned to his work. He knew he had some time to spare before the real show would start. The least he could do was finish his job before the stable workers witnessed that which was angry Ezio.

**oooOOOooo**

Beatrice watched from one of the hideout's windows as Ezio walked down the hall and disappeared into his room. She was currently on the side of the building with her feet digging into the brickwork and her fingers grasping the windowsill. Some of the people milling around below happened to glance up and had to do a double take when they spotted her. Many of them only shook their heads. They seemed to be used to the eccentricity of the island's most unusual residents.

"Come on, _Maestro_," Beatrice grumbled under her breath. She shifted uncomfortably as her fingers began to tingle from holding on too long. "Where are you?"

As if on queue, said assassin walked out of his room with no clothes on whatsoever. Beatrice let out an uncharacteristic squeak and ducked down. She slapped a hand over her mouth while her face, ears, and neck turned a nice shade of red.

Meanwhile, Ezio locked the washroom door behind him and settled into the bath. He let out a content sigh as he leaned back and prepared for a well-earned rest.

**oooOOOooo**

"Are you sure you have everything?" Zaccaria fretted, wringing his hands nervously.

Adel laughed and checked her supplies for the fifth time in ten minutes. "I'm sure. Besides, why are you distressing over this? It was your idea in the first place and I'm the one who takes the blame if we're caught."

"I kind of regret what I said though! I would rather you did not be on the receiving end of _il Maestro's_ wrath…"

"Don't worry," Adel said as she pat Zaccaria's shoulder. "We have this all planned out. Besides, I doubt Ezio will blow up over this."

Zaccaria only made an unconvinced sound in his throat as he continued to worry. Raffaele was standing lookout, keeping an eye out for Beatrice and/or (hopefully not) Ezio. He spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye and ducked out of sight, but relaxed when he realized it was only Beatrice. He raised an eyebrow at the woman's strange behaviour as she weaved her way through the crowds and down the street towards their position.

"_Cugino_!" Adel called, waving the brunette down after noticing her. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"Er, nothing. Ezio is in the bath. You are clear to go in."

Adel tipped her head to the side and studied her cousin. She looked like she had seen a ghost. A very attractive ghost. Adel smiled.

"Well, wish me luck!"

The blonde waved then disappeared into the crowd.

"_Buona fortuna_!" Zaccaria called after her.

The trio then began to migrate to their rendezvous point, Raffaele coming to walk beside Beatrice who was mentally counting in her head, trying desperately to wipe her memory of something that was very hard to wipe. He observed her out of the corner of his eye, watching in silent amusement as the woman's face turned different shades of red whenever her expression changed.

When they reached the stables, they all gathered around an empty cart where Niccolo was sitting, petting a dog. He waved when he saw them then burst out laughing at Beatrice.

"What the hell are you laughing at, Ciccone?" the _discepolo_ snapped.

Niccolo wiped a tear from his eye before saying, "Your face looks like _un pomodoro_! It's hilarious!"

Beatrice took a threatening step forward, raising her fist up, but a certain image flashed though her mind and she blushed. Instead of hitting Niccolo like she would have, Beatrice gave him the coldest glare she could and stalked off to sit under the nearby tree.

Niccolo looked to Raffaele and Zaccaria in confusion, but the other two men shrugged their shoulders, just as equally confused as he was.

**oooOOOooo**

Adel quietly made her way down the hall, careful to tip-toe past the washroom and onwards. Ezio's room was located at the end of hallway and up a small staircase. It was isolated from their living quarters, which were located one floor down, despite how little Ezio actually rested at the headquarters.

The blonde padded up the staircase and into the loft-like room. She immediately spotted the assassin's robes discarded on the small cot in surprisingly good order. However, as she got closer to the garments, a foul stench reached her nose and Adel covered her face with a grimace.

"I guess to make it up to Ezio I'll wash his robes for him…" Adel said to herself as she gathered the cloth into a brown sack. She then opened a different sack and withdrew another pair of robes.

Adel couldn't help but grin as she laid them out in place of the previous ones. The tailor had really outdone themselves. She would have to thank Raffaele again for helping come up with the design; they definitely could not have their _Maestro_ running around in clashing colours.

The _discepolo_ left Ezio's armor, but to complete the look, she took his boots and replaced them with similar footwear decorated with floral patterns. She took a step back to marvel at her handiwork before giggling to herself and turning on her heel. Adel then moved to the cupboard and shoved all the clothe articles inside her sack.

She made her way around the room, collecting anything she deemed suitable as clothing. When she was done, Adel took one more glance at the robes on the bed before leaving. As she descended the stairs, she heard the telltale sound of a door opening and feet padding across a wooden floor.

Adel quickly scrambled back into Ezio's room and looked around desperately for a way of escape. The blonde never cursed, but her mind was currently screaming every single naughty word she knew. There were six windows in the room, but which one was above something that would provide her with a soft landing?

The _discepolo_ would just have to hope for the best. She sprinted towards the closest window and threw it open. A glance towards the ground revealed a conveniently placed haystack and Adel hopped out of the window. She landed in an awkward position because of not having time to perform a proper leap, but the drop was not very high so she landed with minimal injuries.

As soon as Adel hit the ground, she scrambled out of the haystack and ran away towards the stables. Back in the room, Ezio just walked through the doorway when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. His instincts took over and he did not even notice the pink robes as he fetched a blade and ran towards the open window. He peered over the edge and saw the hay below him thrown around as if someone had just…

Ezio snapped his head to the side and saw a flash of blonde hair before it disappeared in the crowds of people. Ezio's nose scrunched up as he turned his back to the window. He feared whoever had broken into his room had taken something important. Brown eyes surveyed the room, hints of gold mixing into them as he even slipped into Eagle Vision when he did not spot anything out of place.

The assassin frowned and scratched the back of his head in confusion, but as he approached his bed, he discovered what had been stolen. Ezio approached the garments and stared at them in a mixture of irritation and bewilderment. The colours made the robes look absolutely ridiculous and they made Ezio think back to the blonde head of hair he saw.

One name popped into his mind.

"Adel…" he muttered aloud as he gingerly picked up the outer tunic.

Someone had obviously known what they were doing when they had made the outfit. Ezio's gaze travelled to the silk chemise, its already over-exuberant frills accented by the sunlight shining into his room. The robes were a similar design to his master assassin garb, but with an obvious palette change.

Everything that had been white before were now a pretty blush colour that Ezio could imagine a small child wearing. The accents were also a pink, but they reminded him more of the flower petals that could be seen floating around _la Piazza della Rotonda_. To top everything off, the edges of the hood, cuffs, and collar were all bordered by black lace.

Grumbling under his breath, Ezio discarded the cloth onto the bed and walked over to the closet. He threw the doors open only to find polished chestnut staring back at him. His eye twitch as he moved on to his dresser, discovering the same result. He could have sworn he had stocked his room with other clothes.

Ezio turned back to his bed with a huff. As he stared at the pink robes on his bed, his face slowly smoothed. His anger boiled away to be replaced by cool contempt as an idea began to form in his mind.

"Fine, if this is the game they want to play" he said, the towel around his waist dropping to the floor. "Then I will make the rules."

**oooOOOooo**

"What happened to you?" Niccolo asked, eyeing Adel who stood bent at the middle with her hands on her knees.

The blonde was breathing heavily with straw stuck in her disheveled hair and clothing. Beatrice got up from her spot from under the tree and walked over to her cousin.

"Adel, what happened? Did Ezio catch you?"

"Ah… I don't… think… so," Adel huffed, straightening and wiping her brow. "It was a really close call though."

"You _did_ replace his robes though, didn't you?" Niccolo asked.

Adel smiled and gave them a thumbs up.

The group let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. All they had to do now was wait.

**oooOOOooo**

Guido let out a heavy sigh; it had been a long night of drinking and contemplating what he was doing with his life. He was ashamed to say that he wallowed in self-pity whenever he drank alone. After joining the Brotherhood, it had become a norm for him to go tavern hopping alone since he could hardly stand drinking with any of his fellow recruits and his brother was busy with other things.

"Hopefully everyone is out," Guido grumbled as he opened the door to the headquarters.

As the man descended that stairs into the main hall, he saw a tall figure dressed in pink robes. He squinted in confusion, trying to figure out who it was and nearly tripped over the last steps when the figure turned around.

"_M-Maestro_?!"

The man looked up from his bracers at the sound of his name.

"_Buongiorno_," Ezio greeted cheerfully. "You have perfect timing, Tuccerini. How do I look?"

The _recluta_ could only stare, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He thought that Ezio was one of the sane people in the Brotherhood. Had he been wrong?! He felt so deceived…

The assassin noticed the other confused, somewhat broken, expression. "Something wrong?"

"_Che diavolo_?! What are you wearing?" Guido exclaimed, stumbling back against the wall. He felt lightheaded.

Ezio looked down at his outfit with a fake confused expression. "The master assassin robes are a bit bland so I've been thinking of making them more… unique. Do you now like them?"

"_Dio_ no- I mean, no offence, but… _perché_?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Ezio finally admitted, his act dropping. "Someone broke into my room, took all my clothes, and replaced them with… these."

Guido frowned as he thought about who could have done such a thing. His let out a long 'oh' when he remembered the cart race. He had to refrain from smirking now that he knew the reason as to why the master assassin was standing in the middle of their headquarters wearing a pretty, pink outfit.

"I-I have no idea," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ezio picked up on Guido's change in behaviour and eyed him suspiciously. The recruit coughed.

"I know you know something I don't," the older man said, his voice dropping to a chilling tone. Guido shifted uncomfortably under his mentor's piercing gaze. "However, you may be exempted from the punishment if you help me with something."

Guido hesitated for only a second before nodding his head.

Ezio smirked. "_Bene_, here is what I need you to do."

**oooOOOooo**

"Oi, _bambini_!"

Zaccaria looked up from the chessboard and saw Guido jogging towards them. Raffaele did not look up, but he frowned at the word '_bambini_'.

"_Buongiorno_, Guido," Zaccaria greeted.

Guido nodded in response and said, "_Signora_ Claudia has requested our audience."

"_Perché_?" Raffaele asked, moving his knight.

"_Non lo so_," the _recluta_ shrugged. "The messenger just said she wanted to see all of us."

Raffaele finally looked up from his game and stared at the older man in suspicion. He had been missing when they made the last minute plans for Adel's bet. The younger man also found it suspicious that Claudia had called them instead of going through Ezio first.

"What of the _Maestro_?" he asked.

Guido rolled his eyes. "I'm just the messenger. I haven't seen _il Mentore_ since he left for Valnerina."

Before Raffaele could protest, Zaccaria cleared the chessboard and packed the game away for later. He then stood and looked to his partner expectantly. Grumbling under his breath, Raffaele reluctantly stood and followed after his fellow recruit.

_The boy is too gullible for his own good_, the milite thought.

After gathering the other recruits, the group made their way to _la Rosa in Fiore_. Along the way, Raffaele began to slow his pace and eventually made his way to the back of the group where he watched Guido with calculating eyes. The man seemed to walk with a sense of purpose unlike everyone else who were curious and expectant to know as to why they had been summoned.

Raffaele glanced at the other recruits. If only he could slip away they he could-

"Hey, Cavallari!" Beatrice called, snapping the man out of his thoughts. "Hurry up! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go back to the headquarters and see Ezio pretty in pink."

Stifling an irritated sigh, Raffaele jogged to catch up the rest of the recruits.

"What timing," Niccolo said, scratching his chin.

The others hummed in agreement.

When they reached the _piazza_, Raffaele noticed the lack of courtesans milling around. The few that were out waved at them as they passed, but they also giggled and whispered to one another as if they held an amusing secret. Raffaele glanced over to the others. They were oblivious to it, talking amongst themselves about the kinds of reactions Ezio would have to his new outfit.

As they entered the brothel, the distinct feeling that something was off intensified tenfold. The amount of information and details about the brothel swamped Raffaele's brain, and he prepared himself for the worse as he tried to process all of it. The furniture and floor was covered in canvas tarp as if someone had been painting and all around them on the balcony above stood the women of _la_ _Rosa in Fiore_, each of them holding various sized sacks and bowls. At the top of the grand staircase stood Ezio, garbed proudly in his new robes, with his arms crossed and a smug grin on his face.

Before the recruits could react, Ezio raised his hand and all at once, the courtesans hurled the contents of their bowls and sacks on the unsuspecting victims below. Different shades of pink pigment filled the air as it pelted the recruits from all sides. Ezio and the women of the brothel laughed as the people below them were too disoriented to do anything.

Adel screamed and laughed as she covered her head with her arms. Unlike her cousin, Beatrice was yelling all kinds of curses, her eyes closed to try and keep the offending substance out and bumping into the others around her in the process. Niccolo had ducked for cover, but he was soon tripped over by a blind and confused Zaccaria. Both men face-planted into the excess powder on the ground, covering them in even more pigment. Guido, muddled and hurt because Ezio had said that he would wait until he cleared the room to signal the assault, just stood there with his hands over his face.

The courtesans eventually ran out of pigment and the attack on the recruits ceased. Ezio waited until the powder floating around in the air settled a little before venturing into the battle zone. He was soon joined by Claudia, who grimaced at the mess, and Maria who was trying to keep a straight face, but the mirth dancing around in her eyes was evident.

"Is…. Is it over?" Zaccaria asked, hesitantly sitting up.

Niccolo followed suit and rested his elbows on his bent knees. "Looks like it," he said when he spotted Ezio.

"Look! I'm all pink!" Adel exclaimed, grinning.

Zaccaria and Niccolo laughed.

"Even your teeth are pink," the younger man said.

Adel giggled.

"What a mess," said Raffaele as he walked out from behind a desk. He was pigment free for the most part, only the parts of his body that did not fit under the desk were pink.

"What the hell do you mean, 'what a mess'?! _Figlio di puttana_, you _knew_ this would happen!" Beatrice exclaimed, angrily stomping up to the _milite_, clouds of pink floating off of her with every step.

"Not at all," Raffaele replied calmly. "I'm just more perceptive than the rest of you are. It was actually Tuccerini who was working as the mole."

"But Guido got hit with the rest of us," Zaccaria said, glancing at said man. "And you…"

Raffaele opened his mouth to defend himself, but he was cut off as a bowl of hot-pink pigment was dumped on his head. He cringed and sputtered as the powder got in his mouth and eyes. Beatrice began to snicker.

"Actually, Raffaele is correct," Ezio said, grinning and patting the recruit on the shoulder as he handed his bowl to Claudia. "Unfortunately for Guido, despite his willingness to the avoid punishment, that ability will not help him when on a contract. I used this situation to teach you all a lesson."

Beatrice stopped laughing and stared at Ezio, saying, "Wait, what?"

"Hm?" Ezio crossed his arms and said, "Would you want someone who would willingly give up their partners' lives just to save their own hide?"

Guido coughed and avoided the gazes of his fellow recruits.

"Furthermore, do you realise how obvious this ambush was? I am both impressed and ashamed that Raffaele was the only one to notice; Tuccerini is not the best actor, you know. I had to tell him everything he had to say and do in order to have you come here," Ezio continued.

Beatrice, Adel, Niccolo, and Zaccaria all exchanged an embarrassed glance.

"This isn't even about the robes anymore," Niccolo chuckled, standing and pulling Zaccaria up after him. "_Il Mentore_ really got us."

"No kidding," Beatrice grumbled.

"He's still wearing them though," Adel pointed out. "Those robes look good on you, _Maestro_!"

Ezio regarded Adel for a moment before grinning and putting a hand on his hip, actually posing a bit for them.

"They do look rather pretty," he said, his voice containing an evil undertone. "I was just modelling them before they become your official uniform for the next month."

"_Che cosa_?!" the recruits exclaimed in unison.

"You heard me. For the next month, you will all be temporarily demoted to _recluta_ and you will relearn all of your perception skills. Moreover, you will be required to wear this uniform whenever you would normally wear your robes."

"I only commissioned one pair though?" Adel said.

"Not to worry, dear," Maria spoke up, stepping forward with a little _too_ innocent smile. "Thankfully the tailor still had the pattern and we now have the best and fastest clothes makers working on them at this moment. They should be ready in a few days."

"_Accidenti_…" Niccolo chuckled.

* * *

_**Ah, Ezio is not stupid, silly recruits. Looks like they're going to learn their lesson the hard way! Hehe! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I also have some exciting news! I have made an ask blog for this story and its cast! The link to it will be on my profile! Check it out if you want!**_

_**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favourites! You guys are AWESOME! :DDD**_

_**CMilk out!**_


	15. Special Training

**Hey folks! Sorry for the long wait! I'm not going to keep you here so I'll meet you at the bottom! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Special Training

"That was ridiculous," Guido huffed angrily as he stumbled into the headquarters, breathing heavily.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Beatrice announced with a cocky smirk.

Guido only glared. He, Beatrice, Adel, and Raffaele had been finishing a contract when they were spotted by a group of guards; no doubt it was their uniquely coloured robes that had caught the men's attention. After splitting up and hiding in a flower cart for half an hour as the guards searched his area, Guido finally made his way back to the hideout.

He was never really fast and free running was still difficult for him. Guido was far from weak and he possessed good upper-body strength, but running across slippery roof tiles was far from his ideal method of getting around. Surprisingly though, he was good at sneaking around for someone his size. He took pride in his strengths, but Beatrice would never let him forget his weaknesses.

Beatrice eyed the flowers sticking out from his robes here and there. "What, did you get lost on the way home? Take a detour through a flower shop or two?"

"Oh come off it," Guido growled. "This never would have happened if you hadn't starting babbling your head off about how easy the mission was."

"_Mi scusi_?! Don't start blaming me! You're the one who looks so out of place with your bright-pink robes!"

"What the hell are you going on about? We all look ridiculous in these, it's not just me!"

"At least I don't look like _un toro_ who charged through a tailor shop!"

Zaccaria raised a brow as he strolled into the main room.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, hesitant to get himself involved in a spat.

"No," Beatrice snapped. "Guido and I were just talking about today's mission."

"Oh, that's good then. _Il Maestro_ wants us for training."

The entire group let out a simultaneous groan. For the past month Ezio had been driving them into the ground with training. Sure when they first joined the Brotherhood it was difficult, but now that the assassin knew there capabilities and determination, he was less concerned about driving them away.

Zaccaria rolled his eyes and smiled. "Look on the bright side; it's the last day of _il Maestro's _punishment. We've been through some harsh training these past few weeks. Maybe he'll take pity on us."

Beatrice and Guido snorted.

"That's the way to think!" Adel exclaimed, throwing an arm around the young man's shoulder. "_Andiamo_!"

While Adel and Zaccaria led the way, the other three trailed further back, still skeptical. Using the tunnel system, the recruits made their way to the Caserma di Alviano. The Brotherhood would often use Bartolomeo's accommodations for combat training. Some of them also enjoyed going to watch the fight club once and a while when they had the time.

When they entered the barracks and travelled to the sparring area, they spotted Ezio, Niccolo, and Bartolomeo, along with a few mercenaries, waiting for them. The men were standing beside a weapons rack filled with anything but weapons. There was farming equipment, building tools, everyday items, and unconventional objects. There was even a lute in the mix.

"Ah, _benvenuto_!" Bartolomeo exclaimed when he spotted them. "Beautiful day for training, _si_?"

The recruits agreed half-heartedly. The assassin mercenary had a friendly personality, but they found it hard to feel his enthusiasm sometimes.

"_Buongiorno_ _reclute_," Ezio greeted with a smile. He nodded towards Beatrice. "I hope your mission went well this morning."

Beatrice rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh yes, it went swimmingly. Our robes caused no trouble whatsoever."

"_Bene_!"

"I was being sarcastic… _stronzo_."

Ezio ignored her remark and turned to address everyone. "Today, I have something special planned. I know I've been a bit hard on you the past month, but I am proud of your effort. I do hope you've learned a lesson or two from this."

The recruits nodded. Despite the complaints they made, every one of them understood their purpose in the Brotherhood and what they were sacrificing to bring peace to Roma. They just needed to be reminded once and a while.

Ezio's eye softened and he smiled at the recruits, saying, "_Eccellente_! Now, this combat training will be a bit different. You see this weapons rack? What do you think it's filled with?"

"Junk?" Beatrice asked.

Niccolo snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What are you grunting at Ci-"

"_Per favore, signorina _Beatrice," Ezio interrupted, crossing his arms.

Beatrice coughed.

"These items may seem like junk to some, but to others…" Ezio strolled over to the weapons rack and picked up an old broom. He weighed it in his hands for a moment as he took his time moving towards a training dummy.

Zaccaria and Raffaele exchanged a glance while Adel and Guido watched with interest. Beatrice tapped her foot on the ground in impatience, her eyes trained on the master assassin, but her mind wandering elsewhere.

Suddenly Ezio turned on his heel and swung the wooden end of the broom at Niccolo's leg. The demoted _mercenario_ swore as he leaped away, clutching the place where he had been hit. Beatrice hooted in amusement.

"These objects can be used as weapons," Ezio smirked. "There might be times when you will be disarmed or you do not have any of your normal equipment with you. You must be resourceful and make use of the objects around you to defend yourself."

"Can we just spend the session beating on Ciccone?" Beatrice jested.

Ezio placed the broom back onto the rack. "If you wish. Niccolo, Bartolomeo, and I will be your sparring partners for now. We will be wielding common weapons while you will be using these. You're to strip yourself of your weapons and lay them out over there. _Capisce_?"

"Sounds like fun!" Adel said excitedly.

"This should be amusing to watch," Raffaele agreed.

"We'll do a rotation," Ezio said. "Who wants to go first?"

"I will!" Adel volunteered, walking over to the rack and examining its contents.

Bartolomeo stepped forward with a grin. "I'll spar with _la piccolo signora_."

The rest of the group moved over to the sidelines. Beatrice glowered at the mercenaries laughing amongst themselves. She could hear them poking fun at Adel. If only they knew better.

"I don't even know what this is, but it looks useful."

Adel gave the long pole in her hands a few experimental swings. There was a large, nasty looking hook attached to the end, built for reaching out and pulling up fishing nets from the water. It was a bit long to be an effective staff or spear though.

"Alright, ready when you are!" Adel announced.

Bartolomeo let out a hearty laugh and said, "Prepare yourself, _signorina_!"

When Ezio signaled for the fight to begin, the mercenary charged forward immediately. Adel readied herself, tightening her grip on the pole. She jumped out of the way at the last minute, but did not go in for an attack. This pattern continued a few more times before Adel saw her opening. She sidestepped a downswing from Bartolomeo and used the hook to catch the man's leg and send him stumbling. This gave her enough time to jump on his back and wrap her arm around his neck.

"That's _il mio cugino_!" Beatrice exclaimed, jumping up from her seat on a bench.

"Impressive for a woman!" Bartolomeo said with a bit of a pained grin.

The blonde laughed good-naturedly and pat the man on the arm before going over to sit beside her cousin.

"That was good," Ezio said. "I know that net hook was long and not very useful. I like how you went for Bartolomeo's feet. If he were a real enemy you would've tried to injure him there as well, _giusto_?"

"_Si, Mentore_."

"_Bene_! So, who's next?"

Revved up from Adel's fight, Zaccaria stepped forward with an excited grin.

"I'll go!"

"Niccolo, would like me to take this one so you're not tired for your fight with Beatrice?" Ezio grinned.

Niccolo snorted and stepped forward. "That's alright, _Maestro_, I won't need to be rested in order to fight Simoni."

"Oh go turn yourself in, Ciccone," Beatrice snapped.

The man only laughed and stepped into the sparring ring. Zaccaria stood across from him holding a basket filled with flowers. A chorus of laughter erupted from the recruits and spectators.

"Where did you even get that?" Adel giggled.

Zaccaria pouted. "It was sitting beside the rack so I thought it was there to be used as a weapon?"

"Nice choice, Zaccaria," Niccolo grinned, pulling out a short-blade. "But I doubt it's going to get you anywhere."

"We'll just have to see about that," Zaccaria said, annoyed that the others were making fun of his choice. He thought the entire point of the exercise was to be using unlikely weapons.

Ezio signaled for them to begin, and Zaccaria barely had time to register what was happening before Niccolo was right in front of him, his blade rocketing towards his face. The younger man let out and yell of surprise and jumped out of the way just in time. Niccolo pivoted around on his heel and swung again. Zaccaria dodged once more, this time putting some distance between them.

"Am I too fast for you?" Niccolo taunted.

Zaccaria did not answer. He was used to the other man's jesting during training and he knew letting it get to him would only serve to get himself into trouble. Shrugging, Niccolo switched his hold on his knife and ran forward for another attack.

The demoted _milite_ was ready this time, but he continued to evade the assaults instead of counter or go in for an attack himself. Zaccaria held the flower basket by its handle in one hand and used the other to keep his balance as he danced around Niccolo. He could see older man was beginning to get frustration even though Niccolo did a good job hiding it.

"Are you going to attack me or not?" the brunette huffed, stabbing his blade towards the other man.

Instead of dodging, Zaccaria held up the basket as a shield. Niccolo's knife embedded itself into the woven straw and a look of surprise appeared on his face. As he went to retract the blade, Zaccaria let go of the basket then raised his leg and kicked it, effectively knocking Niccolo's blade out of his hand in the process.

"Got you," Zaccaria said with a grin as he threw a punch towards Niccolo.

Unfortunately for Zaccaria, the older man (literally) had a trick of up his sleeve, as in a flash of silver, Niccolo caught Zaccaria's fist and pointed his hidden blade at his throat.

"Got you," Niccolo smirked. Zaccaria sighed in defeat.

"Good job both of you," Ezio said, happily clapping both men on the shoulder. "Excellent use of that flower basket, Zaccaria."

"I'll admit, that was pretty clever," Niccolo agreed. "Too bad you forgot about an Assassin's signature weapon."

Zaccaria rolled his eyes and went to stand beside Adel. Raffaele went next, sparring against Ezio with a garden hoe. The master assassin held little back as he sparred with the younger man, but Raffaele held his own surprisingly well.

Raffaele did little in the killing department –contradicting the 'assassin' title a little- and he was a planner and a look-out more than anything. Although, Raffaele was capable of fighting. He was a surprisingly heavy hitter and relied mostly on hand-to-hand combat. His brawling skills were some of the best out of all of them.

"Good work," Ezio said as he helped Raffaele off the ground. The master assassin was going to have a bruise from Raffaele breaking the handle of the hoe on his side, but ultimately, Ezio overpowered the other man.

Guido went next against Bartolomeo, as the mercenary captain had yet to see what the 'new' recruit was capable of. The ex-lumber worker picked a fire iron; one of the more practical weapon choices. Guido went to stand across from Bartolomeo with a tight grip on the fire iron. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Despite being the oldest and despite talking down to the others, he was still the most inexperienced. It was only training, but this time everyone was watching, unlike the other times where the others were sparring during the same time he was.

"Ready _recluta_?" Bartolomeo grinned, holding up Bianca.

Guido nodded, readying himself. "_Si_…"

The assassin recruit was surprised at Bartolomeo's speed. He had a difficult time keeping up with the mercenary's swings. Lucky for him, the fire iron was well-made and stood up to the heavy blows of Bianca.

"Ha! You're doing pretty well for a greenhorn!"

Guido grunted at a particularly hefty blow and he almost lost his grip on his weapon. He was doomed.

"Come on, Guido! Remember our training!"

Beatrice eyed her fellow recruits as they began cheering. Niccolo was yelling reminders while Adel and Zaccaria were cheering encouragements. This seemed to give Guido some energy as he began to slowly regain some ground. Ultimately, it was not enough, and Bartolomeo knocked the fire iron out of the recruit's hands after a few more moments of fighting.

"You held up well," Ezio nodded in approval. "Well done!"

Guido grunted as he went to stand beside the others.

"All right, it's finally our turn," Niccolo said as he grinned at Beatrice. The brunette smirked and uncrossed her arms, rolling her shoulders to loosen her muscles.

"Bartolomeo is a tough opponent."

Guido looked sideways at Zaccaria. The younger man was watching Niccolo and Beatrice, but his gaze flickered to Guido for a few moments.

"I wouldn't dwell on the loss too long," he continued.

Guido made an uncommitted sound in his throat. "I am not upset. I am well aware that the outcome of my fight was inevitable."

Zaccaria smiled and nodded, understanding the other's method of retaining some of his pride. The two men directed their attention to their fellow assassins.

Niccolo was twirling his blade lazily, waiting for Beatrice to choose her weapon. The brunette stood in front of the weapon rack, a hand on her hip and the other rubbing her chin as her eyes scanned the selection.

"What do you think she's going to pick?" Zaccaria asked.

"Something good," Adel replied.

"Are you almost done, Simone?" Niccolo called. "Stalling is not like you! Are you scared you'll lose?"

Niccolo and the mercenaries laughed and joked around while Beatrice frowned. She finally snapped when she heard a particularly insulting jest. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she spotted a particular instrument, highlighted by a ray of the late-afternoon sun.

"Oi, Ciccone! Are we going to fight or are you too busy flirting?" Beatrice called, resting the instrument on her shoulder.

Niccolo's smile morphed into a look of horror so fast the assassins had to laugh. Ezio watched with an amused and interested look on his face.

"You are doing this on purpose," Niccolo stated, pouting.

Beatrice only smirked.

"Fine, if you are going to abuse an innocent lute than I want you to repay your lost bet if I win," Niccolo stated, crossing his arms.

Beatrice muttered under her breath. "I would rather kiss _un maiale_ than put my lips anywhere near you!"

"Hey _signora_, wouldn't that just be the same thing?" a mercenary called out, elbowing his friends.

The brunette frowned and shifted her position. Niccolo instinctively tensed, but Beatrice pulled her arm back and aimed the instrument at the mercenary behind him instead. Narrowing her eyes, she whipped the lute with all her strength. Niccolo ducked and the instrument hit the mercenary square in the head.

"_Che diavolo_?!" the mercenaries exclaimed. Meanwhile, the assassin recruits were hooting in amusement as Beatrice only stood there with a smug look on her face.

Niccolo put an around the brunette's shoulders and said, "Good aim, B, but maybe you should aim somewhere else next time. I think you knocked him right out."

"I'll aim right _here_ next time," Beatrice growled, feinting a kick to Niccolo's vital regions. The assassin recruit flinched and flashed his partner a pained grin. Beatrice only smirked and said, "Two for flinching."

Everyone laughed and the female assassin only got one hit before Niccolo fled, laughing. Beatrice cursed and took chase. The others watched in amusement as the two played cat and mouse before Niccolo stopped abruptly, causing Beatrice to run straight into him. The demoted _mercenario_ caught his partner and flashed her a cheeky grin.

"So how about that kiss?"

Adel sucked in a breath and hit Zaccaria's arm in excitement. The younger man flinched and eyed the blonde. Raffaele and Guido exchanged another look.

Instead of lashing out, Beatrice rested her hands on Niccolo's chest. She raised a brow and looked up at him innocently. The other recruit stared back in a mixture of confusion and intrigue. He slowly leaned in closer, giving Beatrice time to pull away should she want to.

As Niccolo went in for a kiss, Beatrice suddenly ducked out of the way. Unfortunately for Niccolo, he kept leaning forward and he was met with open air. A little 'encouragement' from Beatrice and he was face first in the dirt. A mixture of laughter and snickers erupted from the assassins and the mercenaries.

Adel snapped her fingers. "So close!"

"I think I am over this bet thing," Zaccaria said laughing and rubbing his arm where Adel had attacked it in her eagerness.

"You may be over it, but do you think Niccolo will let it go?" Guido asked, watching as said recruit rolled over and sighed at the sky in defeat.

"He never had it in the first place," Raffaele said. "Niccolo and Beatrice have more of a sibling-like relationship and they both know it."

Guido hummed in response.

Footsteps caught Niccolo's attention and he refocused his gaze to see Beatrice standing over him. She held out a hand and he gladly took it. The brunette pulled him up and Niccolo patted the dirt off of his robes.

"You're so cruel," he chuckled.

"Maybe next time Ciccone," Beatrice said, crossing her arms and smirking. "Maybe next time."

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**You made it! So? I think it's a bit all over the place, but I've had this idea in my head for a while. I know in Brotherhood the developers took out the feature that allowed Ezio to use brooms and such as weapons, but I thought it would be fun to play around with. Also, some character development. Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner than this one was! :'D**

**If you like _Noia_ maybe review, fav, or follow? Thanks for all the support already!**

**CMilk out!**


	16. The Cavallari Family

**Hey folks! Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm excited for the next few ones because I'm ramping up the excitement a bit.**

**Reviews:**

ScreamingInSilence: **Whoa thank you so much! Your review means a lot! Making rounded characters with their own separate personalities from each other is one of my goals with this story.**

Bones McCoy: **Thank you! :DI try to keep the stories focused on the recruits and have the canon characters interact with them as little as possible, but sometimes I can't pass up the chance to drag Ezio of one of the others into the fun.**

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Chapter 16: The Cavallari Family

"That. Is. _It_!"

Adel, Beatrice, and Guido looked up in shock as a shout of anger reverberated through the headquarters. They all exchanged bewildered glances before directing their attention to the stairway leading to the sleeping quarters. A few moments later, Zaccaria appeared in the doorway wearing only a worn pair of pants and a loose-fitting shirt. His appearance was disheveled, as his hair was matted and tangled and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"Vitelli?" Beatrice asked, quirking a brow.

"Where is Raffaele?" was the younger man's only response.

"Uh, he left about ten minutes ago," Adel said. "Perché?"

Before Zaccaria could answer, Niccolo appeared behind him and said, "It seems young Zaccaria here has finally snapped."

"What happened?" Adel asked as the black-haired man turned to glare at Niccolo.

"For months now I have been blamed for missing items in the headquarters," the _discepolo_ began. "At first I did not put much thought into it, but I refuse to be blamed anymore!"

The trio sitting in front of the fire exchanged glances. As far as they knew, Zaccaria hadn't been blamed _that_ much. However, they were unaware off just how much each of them had blamed their friend for missing things.

"And… what's this got to do with Cavallari?" Guido asked.

"It's his fault this is happening!" Zaccaria exclaimed, throwing his hands up. The recruits then watched as the black haired man proceeded to angrily pace around the armoury.

They were unsure of how to react, seeing as none of them had ever witnessed the youngest recruit in this kind of rage before. It was a few moments later when Adel let out a long 'oh' in realization.

"What?" Beatrice asked, eyeing her cousin.

"Raffaele was the one who told me it was Zac that took my yarn balls."

"He told me Vitelli was the one using my hammer when I went looking for it," Guido added.

Beatrice crossed her arms and said, "Same with me and the fish I keep having to buy since it seems to disappear faster than we can eat it."

"So, what?" Niccolo asked, going over to lean on the back of Beatrice's chair. "Do we jump Cavallari, tie him up, and interrogate him 'til he talks?"

"I don't think we need to go that far," Adel giggled.

Beatrice glanced at Zaccaria, who was still pacing the armoury, and said, "I do not see why not. It is not like he will tell us anything if we just ask. Trust me, I have tried."

"I'm sure you have," Niccolo snorted.

"Right. So what are we going to do?" Guido asked.

"Follow him," Zaccaria suddenly spoke up

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Yes, and in your grumpy, sleep-deprived state you have failed to consider two things: one, why? And two, how?"

"I want to know why Raffaele needs all this _merda_ and why he tells people it's me who's taking everything!"

"Fair enough," Guido said, raising a brow at the younger man's curse. In all the time he'd been in the Brotherhood, the mill worker had yet to hear profanity from Zaccaria until that day.

"As for how, I've seen Cavallari loitering around an abandoned storage building off to the west side of this district."

"There are many buildings that are abandoned there, _stupido_," Beatrice said.

Guido let out an irritated sigh and said, "It is right against the wall and smells of rotting hay and cat piss."

"That's better, Tuccerini!"

Guido only grunted in response.

"_Bene_! So it's settled!" Niccolo announced. "We will go find Raffaele and catch him red-handed! Zac, go get some clothes on so we can begin."

Zaccaria shot the older man a grumpy look before quickly going to the sleeping quarters and changing. The recruits met in front of the headquarters before deciding their best course of action. They agreed on a stealth approach just in case. If Raffaele spotted them, they did not want him to go into hiding because they all knew that the man would be near impossible to find if he did.

The recruits split up, each of them taking different routes to Guido's specified location. Adel, Beatrice, and Niccolo took to the rooftops while Guido blended in with the locals and Zaccaria stuck to the shadows. As they neared the building, Beatrice suddenly ground to a halt and signalled to the others.

The recruits caught a glance of sandy-brown hair as its owner paused at the old, beaten down door of the building. It had boards of wood haphazardly hammered to it to cover the holes and the hinges were clinging to the rotting frame like a lifeline.

They watched as Raffaele looked around before ducking into the decrepit building. After waiting a few moments, the assassins regrouped under a tree a few yards away.

"Now what?" Guido asked.

"There's a window," Beatrice pointed out. "Someone go look through it and see what's it's like on the inside."

In a unanimous vote, Zaccaria broke from the group and crept up to the window. He slowly peeked over the windowsill and raised a brow at the interior. It was surprisingly clean looking considering the appearance of the outside and the smell permeating from it.

The inside of the building consisted of one large room, like a barn, and an open loft. The dirt floor had piles of hay here and there, and some of the corners housed boxes and crates. He could see some of them were lined with cloth while others had had straw and other soft materials stuffed into them. Raffaele was nowhere to be seen, and it seemed empty of any other living thing.

"It's empty," Zaccaria relayed when he returned to the group. "Not a soul in sight."

Beatrice eyed him skeptically. "So you're saying that we can just waltz right in?"

"I highly doubt that will happen without any repercussions," Niccolo said.

Adel bounced impatiently on her heels and said, "Maybe he already left? Who knows, there could be a back door or something."

"I say we go in," Zaccaria declared. "We are just wasting time trying to decide what to do. I want to know what he's up to and why he feels the need to keep this a secret from us."

"Some secrets are better left as secrets, Zac," Niccolo advised as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the tree.

The older man was ignored for the most part as Adel agreed to enter the building with Zaccaria.

"Are you going to come with us?" the blonde asked.

"I will just observe from here," Niccolo said.

"Count me out as well," added Beatrice. "Cavallari is a tricky _bastardo_. I do not want to be on the receiving end of a trap."

"Suit yourselves," Adel said, grabbing Guido's hand and tugging him after Zaccaria.

The man let out a sound of protest and said, "_Apetta un minuto_! Don't I get a say in this?"

"Nope!" Adel chirped.

Beatrice watched through narrowed eyes as the mill worker only sighed and let himself be dragged along by the energetic blonde. The three recruits stopped a few feet from the door. They whispered amongst themselves for a moment before sneaking forward and disappearing inside the building.

A quick scan of the room revealed nothing out of place. It was quiet save for the muffled sounds of the outside. Small balls of dust floated lazily through the air and danced in the light pouring in from the windows. The atmosphere was peaceful and it lulled the recruits into a false sense of security.

Zaccari, Adel, and Guido straightened and wandered farther into the room. They stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. Zaccaria opened his mouth to say something, but he paused when he felt something rubbing against his leg. He let out a squeak as he jumped into surprise.

"What?" Guido asked, instantly putting up his guard.

"Oh, what a cute _gatto_!" Adel gushed when she spotted the thing that startled Zaccaria. The blonde crouched and began petting the animal. The cat began to purr loudly, and as if it was a signal, more cats began to emerge from boxes and crevices in the building. Soon the trio was surrounded by the furry creatures.

"What do you think all these _gatti_ are doing here?" Zaccaria asked, joining Adel on the ground. Guido remained standing, eyeing the animals warily.

"They probably live here," Guido said. "I think the real question though, is what Raffaele is doing here."

"And _I_ think the real question is what are _you_ doing here?"

This time Zaccaria wasn't the only one to let out a sound of surprise. The cats retreated a bit from the trio at the commotion and instead went to swarm around the newcomer. Zaccaria, Adel, and Guido shared an embarrassed look, like puppies being caught somewhere where they shouldn't be.

"Well?" Raffaele asked, crossing his arms and looking at the group expectantly.

"What's going on in here?"

The recruits' attention snapped to the doorway where Niccolo and Beatrice stepped inside. The _guerriero_ whistled as he looked around the interior while Beatrice scrunched up her nose at the smell. Raffaele only frowned.

"Good, now that we're all here, can someone please tell me what is going on?" Raffaele asked, irritation seeping into his voice.

The others eyed each other, waiting for one of them to talk. Finally Niccolo shrugged and said, "Zac here wanted to know why he is always blamed for taking missing items in the headquarters."

"Niccolo!" Zaccaria hissed, his face heating up in embarrassment.

"_Che_, it's the truth. Besides, you were quite adamant about confronting Raffaele before we left."

While Zaccaria continued to grumble at Niccolo, Raffaele had grown quiet. The anger and irritation on his face had dissipated and was replaced by a growing look of apprehension. Adel noticed the change and poked the younger recruit's face curiously.

"What's with that look?" she asked.

"What look?" Raffaele grumbled, flinching away.

"That one," Adel insisted.

Raffaele only smacked the blonde's hand away.

"OK, OK," Niccolo said, sling an arm around Raffele and Zaccaria's shoulders. "We're all here and we know you have a little secret. You don't have to tell us everything, just enough so that it puts young Vitelli's mind here at ease."

For a while Raffaele remained quiet. It was at the point that the recruits thought he wasn't going to say anything when he finally heaved a heavy sigh.

"_Va bene_." Raffaele ducked out from under Niccolo's arm and retreated a few steps. The recruits watched with interest as he bent down and scooped up one of the cats weaving its way through his legs.

Straightening, he said, "These _gatti_ are my family. The items I have been taking are for them."

"_Che_?"

"That… was not what I was expecting," Beatrice said. "Did you say your _family_?"

"_Si_," Raffaele replied easily, adjusting his hold on the squirming feline in his arms.

Adel pouted slightly. "I thought it was going to be something more exciting."

"Well, sorry for disappointing you," Raffaele chuckled.

"I don't get it, though," Zaccaria said. "Why did you keep this a secret?"

Raffaele eyed his partner and said, "Would you believe me if I told you I was taking care of a giant barn of cats?"

A chorus of, "uh, _si_", "that is not such a farfetched idea", "sure, why not", and "well, this _is you_ we are talking about" rose from the group.

"I would not have been surprised either," Adel laughed. "You are just that kind of person."

Raffaele watched his fellow recruits with a mild look of surprise and confusion. Niccolo chuckled and nudged Zaccaria with his elbow.

"Are you still mad, Vitelli?" he asked.

Zaccaria flinched slightly and puffed his cheeks childishly. "_Si_! This does not change the fact that he put the blame on _me_!"

"My sincerest apologies," Raffaele said quietly, letting the cat in his arms jumped to the ground. He turned to Zaccaria and bowed his head. "It was wrong of me to use you as a scapegoat. I used it the first time only because it was the first thing that came to mind, and I made no effort to think of another excuse. I hope you can forgive me."

Zaccaria, unused to such a formal apology, looked away and crossed his arms while stuttering out, "It's OK, just… don't let it happen again."

Raffaele straightened and let out a huff of relief, flashing a smile. "I promise."

With the matter settled, the air of tension around the group brought on my Raffaele's secret dissipated. The partners gave each other silly smiles of relief and the others were just glad it was over with. Of course, someone had to ruin the moment.

"So is no one else still wondering why Raffaele referred to these cats as his family?" Beatrice suddenly spoke up.

"Oh! Are you like Romulus and Remus?" Adel inquired excitedly.

Raffaele gave the blonde a funny look "_Che_, no!"

Guido rolled his eyes.

"Than what is your story?" Beatrice asked.

The _discepolo_ sighed. "First of all, these cats did not raise me like the wolves did with Romulus and Remus. But, they are as close as I have to a family and so I hold them all very dearly."

"I have been an orphan for as long as I can remember. I have no memory of my parents, or any other kind of guardian for that matter. I cannot remember exactly when I discovered this building either. I was young, though, and I was hiding from guards. The cats were wary of me at first, but they eventually got used to be and we formed a tight bond. I made our accommodations better by repairing the building and filling it with comforts. The cats acted as company and they were always alert to any dangers."

"How sweet!" Adel exclaimed, smothering the nearest feline to her with cooing and scratches.

"Well now we know where your personality comes from," Beatrice said, smirking.

Raffaele shot the brunette and look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know, you're quiet and you only socialize when you feel like it, even if the others around you try to interact with you."

"You are also the most passive-aggressive person I have met," Niccolo added with a laugh.

Zaccaria sniggered as he said, "And I have found you lazing around in the sun on multiple occasions."

Raffaele ducked his head in embarrassment.

"I think you all have overstayed your welcome," he announced, striding over to the door. "Perhaps you may visit another time."

"OK, OK, I can take a hint," Niccolo chuckled.

The rest of the recruits followed the _guerriero_ outside as Raffaele stepped out after them and made sure the door was securely shut.

"Can we really come back to visit?" Adel asked hopefully after they began their journey to the headquarters.

"I suppose. I long as you are careful. The locals know there are cats living there, but I would rather no one else know."

"Your secret is safe with us," Zaccaria said.

Raffaele smiled at his partner and said, "_Molto grazie_."

"_Aspetta_!" Beatrice suddenly exclaimed. "Before we return to the hideout, we should stop by the market. I think _someone_ owes us a few fish."

"And some yarn!" Adel exclaimed.

"Also a hammer," Guido grumbled.

"What about those blankets that went missing this morning?" Niccolo asked.

"I think the stable owner across from the headquarters would also appreciate a replacement for the piles of hay that keep disappearing," Zaccaria said.

The group simultaneously gave Raffaele a pointed look. The man held his hands up in defeat and chuckled.

"_Si, si_."

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**Will I ever be able to give a chapter a decent ending? Probably not.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and/or favourited. You guys are the best!**

**CMilk out!**


	17. The Traveller

**Hey folks, sorry for the wait! This chapter introduces an important character!**

**Reviews:**

Auzora Starling: **I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading 3**

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Chapter 17: The Traveller

"Why are we going this again?" Guido grumbled, swatting irritably at the bugs circling his head.

"Because it is a nice thing to do," Niccolo replied matter-of-factly.

The older man snorted. "This is a waste of time. We are not some charity."

"Technically we are, though," Zaccaria chuckled to himself.

"Zac is right," said Niccolo, flashing a grin at the ex-lumber worker. "Besides, it's not like we have much else to do right now. Adel and Raffaele are off on contracts, Beatrice is out running errands, and _il Mentore_ is away from Roma at the moment."

"Still, could we not be doing something more productive? The Borgia dogs could be planning something right now and we're just sitting here doing someone else's job!"

Niccolo sighed and uncrossed his arms, placing them on the boulder he was perched on. He refrained from shooting Guido an exasperated look, but the man had been complaining for the past fifteen minutes. Even he had his limits.

"Il Maestro told us to remain incognito," Zaccaria said before Niccolo could reply. "If we were to start running around in our robes, we would cause a big commotion; especially after what happened with that group of guards a few days ago. Furthermore, accompanying Beatrice would just result in us getting abused. You should know by now how bad-tempered she gets when there are wanted posters of us plastered from one end of the city to the other."

Guido grunted, seemingly accepting, albeit begrudgingly, Zaccaria's explanation and dropping the conversation for now. The black-haired man saw Niccolo flash him a thankful grin and he replied with a small smile.

The three assassin recruits were situated in the easternmost part of the Antico District. They were riding through the countryside when they came across a man with a small flock of sheep. The man seemed to be in distress so they stopped to ask what troubled him. He told them that his dog had gone after a rabbit and he could not leave his flock to chase after it. Niccolo suggested that they could look for the dog, but the man shook his head, explaining the animal would only obey his commands and no one else's. And, that is how they ended up lending the man one of their horses so he could go after his dog while they remained to watch over his sheep.

"So how long has the man been gone?" Zaccaria asked after about ten minutes.

Niccolo shrugged. "A while."

"I hope we did not get ripped off of one of our _cavalli_," Guido grumbled.

"I highly doubt someone would abandon a flock of sheep in exchange for a single horse."

"I suppose it depends on what kind of person they are," Zaccaria pointed out.

A few more minutes passed before Guido spoke up again. "Maybe one of us should-"

"_Aiuto_! Someone!"

The recruits snapped to attention and they looked down the path towards the commotion.

"What's going on?" Zaccaria asked.

Guido squinted his eyes and said, "It looks like some poor bloke is getting robbed."

"_Che_? Then we should help! Come on!"

Before Guido could protest, Zaccaria took off down the path. Niccolo took one glance at the _assistente_ before hopping off his boulder and following close behind the black-haired man.

"_Aspetta_!" Guido bellowed after them. "Who is going to watch the sheep?"

"Do not worry, Zac and I have this under control!" Niccolo called back, flashing the older man a cheeky grin.

"Sneaky _bastardo_-" Guido muttered. "-leaving me to do the boring job."

"Oi Vitelli!" Niccolo called as he caught up to Zaccaria. "You take the right and I'll take the left?"

"Sounds good!"

Now that they were close, the recruits could clearly see two bandits harassing a man carrying a large pack. One was pulling on the man while the other was trying to pry a bag from his hands. Zaccaria arrive first and dealt a heavy blow to one of the thieves' faces, causing him to stumble into the man. The traveller loosened his grip on the bag in his surprise and the other bandit did not spare his partner a second glance as he turned tail and ran.

"My bag!" the man shouted in dismay.

Niccolo veered to the left and sprinted after the laughing thief. His celebration was cut short when he was tackled to the ground and landed heavily on his side. Niccolo cuffed him in the back of the head before grabbing the bag and standing. He waltzed over to the path where Zaccaria had knocked the bandit out cold.

"_Grazie mille_!" the man said, accepting his bag with a wide smile.

"_Non problemo_," Niccolo replied.

"I am not sure what I would have done if my bag was stolen. It contains very precious items and those bandits did not give me enough time to pull out my blade. I am in your debts."

"Do not worry about it," Zaccaria said. "We could not stand by and watch as a man got assaulted. It is our jobs to help people."

"Oh? So you are like social justice crusaders then?" the man asked.

Niccolo raised a brow at Zaccaria. The black-haired man laughed nervously. "_Si_, something like that."

"It sounds like the group _mia sorella _is a part is in a secret organization that is hundreds of years old. It even dates back to before the Crusades! She's actually working here in Roma at the moment. I think it had something to do with the Borgia family."

Niccolo and Zaccaria exchanged similar looks of suspicion as they began walking down the path towards Guido.

"I could not believe it when she first wrote to me!"

Niccolo stepped forward and began to ask, "Who is your _sorel-_"

He was cut off when the man knocked him to the ground. The _guerriero_ rolled to his feet in an instant and was about to swipe at the man when Zaccaria yelled at him to stop. He shot the black-haired man a look, but his eyes widened in realization when Zaccaria pointed to a throwing knife stuck in the ground where he was once standing.

"Sorry," the man said, withdrawing a short-sword from his side. "There wasn't enough time to warn you."

Niccolo only nodded and pulled out his own blade. The three men backed into a tight circled as they were surrounded by bandits. Zaccaria spotted the man he had punched leaning on his friend who Niccolo had tackled.

"We are very outnumbered at the moment," the man chuckled nervously. "I am not the best fighter, but I can hold my own so don't worry about me."

"If that's the case, then let's do this," Niccolo said. He lunged towards the nearest bandit and feigned a swipe with his blade. As the bandit dodged, Niccolo knocked him off balance and dealt a serious blow to their stomach.

Zaccaria began to move as well, and he parried a thief's attack before punching them in the gut and knocking the wind out of them. Unlike the recruits, the man waited for a bandit to come to him before they began dueling. Neither sides were gaining any ground as the recruits tried to dispatch the bandits with the least amount of moves possible. However, with every one that fell, it seemed like there was another to take its place.

As the man blocked a kick from one thief, another came up behind him and put him in a choke-hold. He flailed helplessly as his air supply was cut off. Zaccaria was about to run to his aid when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. The _discepolo_ let out a yell of pain as he fell to the ground. Niccolo spared a glance at the sound of his distressed partner, but the three bandits surrounding him did not give him a chance to help. He cursed at the seemingly helpless situation. Suddenly, a large, brown blur bowled through the group of fighting men and almost knock Niccolo off his feet. He stumbled back and looked to the new arrival in surprise.

"What have you _idioti_ gotten yourselves into?" Guido said with a hint of a smug grin as he pulled on the reins of his horse and turned it around. He urged it forward and headed towards the men attacking the traveller. The horse whinnied and reared as it skidded to a halt before one of the bandits and knocked him in the head with one of its hoofs. The man was fortunate enough to die instantly. The other thief promptly let the traveller go and ran.

Snapping back to reality, Niccolo quickly took down the bandits surrounding him and ran to Zaccaria's aid.

"Nice timing, Tuccerini!" the _guerriero_ said once he had helped Zaccaria to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, just get your horses so we can get out of here!" Guido replied, motioning to said beasts a few feet away.

"What about the shepherd?" Zaccaria asked as he hobbled to his horse, Niccolo, Guido, and the man covering his back.

"He's fine," Guido growled. "Just worry about yourself."

Zaccaria frowned, but remained silent as he mounted his horse, with some difficulty, and pulled the traveller up after him. The men quickly galloped away as the bandits were persistent enough to chase them for some time before they finally gave up. By that time Zaccaria was becoming weak from blood loss and the traveller had to take the reins.

"We need to get him to _un dottore_!" the man said.

"There might be one near _il Colosseo_," Niccolo replied.

The fleeing men stopped at the nearest doctor they could find and carefully lowered Zaccaria onto the small examination table beside their cart. The recruits watched a bit apprehensively as the beaked man began a quick physical, checking to see Zaccaria's responsiveness. The black-haired man had started to become delirious from the blood loss and he was beginning to look worse for wear.

"This wound needs stitches," the doctor stated as he cut away the fabric of Zaccaria's pant leg.

Niccolo and Guido exchanged glances.

"Can you staunch the bleeding and wrap him up for now?" Niccolo asked. "I think he would feel more comfortable being at home for something like that."

Because of the beaked mask, the brunette could not see the doctor's expression, but he knew he was getting a sour look. Niccolo was aware of Zaccaria's squeamishness to anything more than a small cut; although, he figured that the _discepolo_ was far enough out of it that it hardly mattered.

"I must insist, _signore_," Niccolo pressed.

The doctor remained silent for a few moments before sighing and turning away. "I can do what you ask, but know that I am not happy about it," he said, beginning to work a bit flippantly compared to before.

After about fifteen minutes, the doctor stepped away from Zaccaria –who looked a bit better- and wiped his hands with a dirty rag. He motioned impatiently to the recruit, and the three men helped the black-haired man back onto his horse.

"I think _il dottore_ was more upset about losing income than inadequately treating an injury," Guido commented after they had paid and made haste towards the headquarters.

Niccolo shook his head. "That is one of the reasons why I want the Isola Tiberina _dottore_ to look at Zac's wound. Let's just hurry so we can get him fixed up."

Guido nodded in agreement and they all but forgot about bringing a stranger to the headquarters as they quickened their pace. Once they finally made it to the headquarters, they left their horses to the stable hand and Niccolo sprinted to the doctor's while Guido and the traveller helped Zaccaria into the building.

About an hour later, Zaccaria's knife wound had been sewed shut and the others' injuries had been treated. While Niccolo was conversing and thanking the doctor, Guido watched suspiciously as the traveller danced around the main room of the headquarters in amazement. The doctor left a few minutes later and things were finally calming down when than the master assassin himself waltzed into the hideout.

"Who is this?"

All gazes turned towards the voice and Ezio stood at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed and a curious, but guarded, expression on his face.

"_Mentore_!" Guido greeted in surprise.

"_Ciao_!" the traveller greeted, oblivious to the change of air in the room.

"_Le mie scuse_, _Maestro_," Niccolo hurriedly interrupted. "It is my fault. Please, allow me to explain."

A quirk of Ezio's brow was all the consent Niccolo needed to continue.

"We came across this man during a ride in the country. He was being mugged by two bandits. We helped him, but more bandits appeared and we got into a scuffle. Zaccaria was injured and we rushed here so he could be treated by the island's doctor instead of some hack on the side of his road. I was not thinking correctly and I let my guard down."

"You know you exposed us to a major threat, _si_?"

"I am aware," Niccolo said.

"_Mi scusi_, if I may," the traveller interrupted.

He hardly flinched when Ezio turned his piercing gaze to him.

"I did not get a chance to introduce myself before considering the circumstances. I am called Matteo. If this man has accidentally dragged me into something I should know nothing about, I swear on my life that I will keep my mouth shut about what happened today. I understand the need for secrecy. You see, I came to Roma looking for my sister. She is part of an order filled with secrets. I find some of what she says hard to believe, especially to a person who lives a very normal life. She talks of Borgia conspiracies and such. I am a well-traveled individual, so personally, I do not find these tales so farfetched. In fact, I actually find them quite believable…"

Niccolo's gaze flicked nervously between Ezio and Matteo as the traveller continued to ramble on. After the mention of the Borgias, he saw the master assassin tense, his hand twitching in anticipation to release one of his blades.

"Matteo," Ezio interrupted. "Do you know who the Borgia actually are?"

"Huh? Of course. _Mia sorella_ wrote all about them in her letters."

Ezio stepped behind Matteo and put a firm hand on his shoulder. The traveller looked at him in confusion and Ezio returned it with a hard stare and said, "I think it is time for you to go-"

"Matteo?"

The headquarters went silent save for the echo of steps as Beatrice strode into the room.

"_Cugino_!" The traveller attempted to run forward, but Ezio's hand prevented him from moving away.

"Adel did not mention you were going to be in town."

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Matteo exclaimed.

"Well, _I'm_ certainly surprised."

"Where is Adel?"

"She's away on a contract."

"Oh. Do you know when she will return?"

"In about a day or two. She shouldn't be that long."

"Ah, alright!"

Guido finally stepped forward and shoved himself into the conversation.

"Hold on for one moment."

"What do you want, Tuccerini?" Beatrice snapped.

"Can someone explain what the hell is going on? _Per favore_? One minute this guy is a simple traveller, then I get the impression he is a part of the people working for the Borgia, and now he is Simoni's cousin?"

"Oh good, I thought it was just me who was confused," Zaccaria laughed from his seat near the medical cart.

"I would appreciate an explanation as well," Ezio said, withdrawing his hand, but remaining close.

"You lot are a bunch of _idioti _if you can't figure out who this is," Beatrice stated matter-of-factly.

Ezio and Guido narrowed their eyes as Niccolo frowned and Zaccaria continued to look lost.

Beatrice let out a dramatic sigh and point to the traveller. "Matteo _Sozzi_," she said, emphasizing the surname. "Brother of Adel _Sozzi_ and my cousin."

The assassins let out a simultaneous "oooh" as realization dawned upon them like an epiphany.

"Honestly, he looks just like her," Beatrice said.

"Now that I know who he is, I feel really stupid for not realizing sooner," Zaccaria cackled in embarrassment.

Niccolo chuckled. "The resemblance is uncanny."

Guido just shook his head.

Ezio coughed to recover from the realization and regained his composure. "He still should not be here. I will leave it up to you to decide what you want to do; however, brother or not, realize that I cannot put my trust into him unless I get to know him better. I expect you to take the proper precautions."

With that, Ezio turned and walked briskly out of the room.

Beatrice heaved a sigh, shook her head, and motioned to Matteo. "Come on, I will find you a place to stay. Say good-bye to your new friends."

"It was nice meeting you!" Matteo grinned. "I am sure we will see each other in the near future!"

Niccolo and Zaccaria waved while Guido nodded.

"I would stay away from them if I were you," Beatrice advised. "You will begin to catch stupid if you are around them for too long."

"I suppose it is too late for you, then," Niccolo said smoothly.

Matteo and the recruits laughed as Beatrice made a rude gesture at them then angrily dragged her cousin away.

* * *

**So, who guessed it was Adel's brother? Anyways, there will probably be another 'filler' chapter before another important plot chapter! As always, thank you for all of your support! If you like _Noia_ maybe consider faving, reviewing, and following! Only if you want ;D**

**CMilkLOL out!**


	18. Guido's Musings

Chapter 18: Guido's Musings

The headquarters was quiet; too quiet for Guido's liking. He hated to admit it, but he had gotten used to the usual presence of at least one or more of his fellow recruits. Contrary to their beliefs, he preferred being in the company of others, or at the very least, being in some place with other human beings; it did not matter whether it was a tavern or a busy street. The emptiness of deserted areas made him uncomfortable. This feeling had intensified after joining the Brotherhood due to the paranoia of having to look over his shoulder every other moment.

It had been a busy month for the Brotherhood. The only members who were still in Rome were Ezio and Adel. Niccolo was in Napoli gathering information, Beatrice was in Venezia meeting with Assassin contacts, and Raffaele and Zaccaria were on their first out-of-country mission. It would be an overstatement to say he was worried about the duo. He would call it 'mildly concerned'.

Guido would never admit it, but he had grown a soft spot for the group. Beatrice annoyed him to no end, but he just returned the favour, watching to see how much it would take to make the woman snap. He found Niccolo a good man, albeit a bit annoying at times. The guy was honest and down to earth. He had a good sense of humor and made good company. Guido found himself enjoying the other man's company the most. Adel was somewhat of a mystery to him. The blonde was bubbly and friendly, but he found her a bit strange. He did not understand her artistic way of seeing things and he did not get her obsession with, what she called, 'matchmaking'. Raffaele was also a mystery to him. The younger man had hardly revealed anything about himself and he did not speak much. Although, Guido did not mind his company. When he needed quiet time he often sought out Raffaele. It was not uncommon to find Zaccaria with him. It was almost a certainty that when you wanted one, you would get the other as well. Guido found himself irritated by Zaccaria's seemingly naïve personality. The boy trusted too easily and he was someone Guido's brother would call a 'goody two-shoes'. The lumber worker had no doubt the younger man knew the realities of their time, he just chose to stay optimistic; not an _entirely_ unwanted trait, he supposed. It was refreshing.

In reality, the Brotherhood had become like a family to him. After joining, he had begun to drift away from his brother, who he had previously been basically joined at the hip with. Guido tried to see him as often as he could, but it was inevitable with both their professions that they would grow apart. Without Guido, Lovino was the sole owner of the lumber yard, and all the responsibilities were handed to him to take care of. That is, until recently. Guido had discovered just yesterday that Lovino was getting married. It wasn't even his brother who told him. Guido had seen a mutual friend at the tavern who had informed him. The assassin hadn't even known his brother was seeing anyone.

The sound of footsteps dragged Guido out of his musings. The giant record book in front of him came back into focus and he realized he had created a big black splotch right in the middle of the page.

"Guido,"

The _assistente _flushed a bit in embarrassment and put the quill into the inkpot as the Master Assassin strolled into the room. He tried to discreetly cover the blemish, but he saw Ezio's eyes flick towards the book. Guido hoped his arms had covered most of it.

"_Buongiorno, Maestro_." Guido greeted.

Ezio nodded and pulled down his hood.

"_Come stai_?" he asked as he walked over to a nearby storage shelf.

Guido shrugged even though the Master Assassin has his back turned to him. "_Bene, grazie_. Yourself?"

"I am almost finished making preparations to liberate the remaining north Campagna District. There are a few more things I must look into, but I should be ready by the time everyone returns."

Guido hummed. "Niccolo will be happy."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

Ezio lowered the pieces of parchment he was reading and turned to look at the _assistente_. "Your lumber yard is in that area, is it not?"

"It is, but it is not mine any longer," Guido stated. "I sacrificed that to join the Brotherhood, _Maestro_."

"You will not return to help your brother?"

"I could, once this-" He made a general sweeping motion with his arm. "-is all finished. However, I am most likely going to remain in the Brotherhood if I am able to survive long enough."

Ezio stared at him pensively, making the younger man shift uncomfortably under the other's piercing gaze.

When he finally returned to his parchments, Guido let out a relieved breath and Ezio said, "It is not against the rules, you know. You could return to your old life."

"It sounds as if you do not want me here," Guido joked a bit half-heartedly.

"That is not what I am saying, Guido. You have open doors that do not lead to dark places. Consider them before you let them shut forever," Ezio said not without a hint of pain.

Guido sighed. "I know, it's just…"

"Is something the matter?"

"I guess it depends on who you ask."

Ezio returned the parchments to the shelf and pulled a chair to the bookkeeping desk. Guido watched him questioningly as he made himself comfortable.

"Perhaps I am not the best person for this, but would you like to talk about it?" the Master Assassin inquired.

Guido stared in surprise at the man in front of him.

From what he had gathered from his own observations and the other recruits', Ezio was a man cloaked in mystery. He never took him to be the type of person to sit down with someone and talk about their problems together. They knew he was a Master Assassin, and they knew he was after the Borgia. A few of them had also made the connection between him and the events that had taken place in Firenze a while back, shedding at least some light on the man's background. Other than that, the rest was mostly speculation.

Theories and rumors were tossed around among the recruits once and awhile. Of course, most of them seemed to stem from the thieves guild or the courtesans. Furthermore, when pressed for details, the other members of the Brotherhood gave irritatingly vague details. La Volpe was always dancing around the significant details, frustrating the inquirer much to his own amusement. Machiavelli revealed a bit more, but would mostly answer in a way similar to a father replying with "ask-your-mother". Bartelomeo revealed bit of Ezio's military involvement during past occasions, but he would soon be sidetracked by his own tales. Even his own family would only smirk secretively and wave them away.

The problem was a bit simpler with Ezio. There just wasn't any time to ask him. Ezio was most often than not, on the move and away from the headquarters. When he was around, he was either training them or using the time for his personal needs. Most of them were also a bit scared of asking, in fear of offending or upsetting him.

"I am not forcing you, of course," Ezio said after Guido had not answered. "But I have a few minutes, and I hear that talking about it is supposed to help. At least, that is what my friends keep telling me."

"Ah, _mi dispiace_," Guido apologized, shaking himself of his earlier thoughts. "I don't think you would be interested in hearing about my petty troubles, though."

Ezio shifted in his seat. "That is not true. It is in my best interest to be interested in your affairs, at least to some extent. If something is bothering your mental well-being, that makes me concerned. A sound mind makes a sound body, _si_?"

"I guess…"

Ezio crossed his legs. "Humor me."

"Alright, alright," Guido said. He took in a lungful of air and let out a long sigh.

"My brother is to be wed soon."

"Congratulations," Ezio said, raising a brow. "You do not sound very happy, though."

"No, although I have no right to be. It is about time he has found someone to settle down with. It's just, he did not even inform me himself. Not one meeting or letter. I found out from a friend when I was at the tavern the other day. I know we have grown apart because of our different paths, but I feel like something inside of me is missing now."

Ezio nodded, waiting for the former lumber worker to continue.

"I guess I just don't like change. I know it was my choice to join the Brotherhood, and I do not regret that decision. But, that does not mean my brother is allowed to shut me out," Guido growled with a bit of an edge to his voice. His fists clenched and unclenched in unrest.

"Perhaps he is a bit bitter," Ezio started thoughtfully. "He may be angry or upset that you left him to join us. Perhaps he may be even jealous? When my family moved to Monteriggioni to live with my uncle, all of our lives had been torn from us in a matter of days. My mother took it the worst. She became mute and stayed in her bedroom, praying by the side of her bed. On the other hand, my sister Claudia seemed to take it all in stride. Of course she was upset, but she always tried to look strong for Mother."

"I was often away, and each time I returned, it seemed Claudia would be more and more upset with me. She was never one to hold her tongue, but she always remained formal, albeit distant, when we spoke. One day, she just snapped. I had never realized to what extent her current life was effecting her. She was bitter and angry towards me because while I was off doing what I was doing, she was stuck in Monteriggioni. The only thing she could do without putting herself directly into harm's way was managing the books. To be ripped away from her old life full of social interactions and possibilities, only to be dropped in a place almost run to the ground and filled with mostly mercenaries… I do not blame her for holding a grudge."

"But you were doing what had to be done," Guido said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Ezio nodded and said, "I was, but I realize now that I could have made more of an effort to remain close with the family I still had. It had never occurred to me that my sister's life could have been so much different. She could have been married and with children. I was so focused on the past and the future, I never paused to look at the present."

"I see…"

"I was protective of my sister, but I was never as close to her as I was with my brother Federico. It still hurt, though, knowing she partially blamed me for her current situation."

"Are things… better now?" Guido asked. "_Signora_ Claudia still seems a bit peevish when we are at La Rosa in Fiore with you."

Ezio waved his hand dismissively. "That is just our clashing personalities. I have talked to her about it and we made up. I know there is still some bitterness, but for now, we get along as well any brother and sister could in our unusual situation."

Guido heaved a sigh and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"I am glad that things between you and _Signora_ Claudia are better, but how long did it take to repair that bond?"

"Guido," Ezio uncrossed his legs and straightened, looking the younger man in the eye. "Your experience is going to be different than mine was. The best thing to do would be to start as soon as you can. Go to your brother and talk to him. Do not wait around and hope for things to return to normal."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"You are a smart man. I am sure you will think of something."

Ezio stood and returned his chair to its place. "In the meantime, you can finish whatever you were working on."

"_Si_…" Guido took the quill from the inkpot. "_Grazie_, _Meastro_."

Ezio pulled his cowl over his head as the _assistente_ returned to the books. As the Master Assassin strode towards the door of the headquarters, he paused and turned back to the other man.

"Guido,"

Guido stopped mid-stroke and looked up.

"If things do not turn out well, you have us."

"What…?"

"You might not feel it now, but the Brotherhood does become like family. There is no shame in relying on us for support, though I cannot guarantee there won't be any dysfunction. There is no perfect family, but we try." Before Guido could utter a world of reply, Ezio disappeared through the doorway with a knowing smirk in a flash of white and red.

* * *

**Hi folks, my deepest apologies for not updating and so long! The summer flew by and before I knew it, school was all up in my grill! I'm a college boy now so that happened. Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews! 3**

**Anyways, sorry if this chapter seems a bit boring and filler-y. The purpose of it was to establish more of Guido's character and his feelings on his fellow recruits. I also wanted a chance to write Ezio more as I have a hard time keeping him in character. I know in the game they didn't really give you a chance to interact with the recruits, but I like to think that Ezio, while strict and demanding, he really cares for them and their well-being. They stuff between Ezio and Claudia was kind of what I got when they interacted in-game.**

**This is a long author's note so I'll wrap this up. Not sure when the next chapter will be out. Just know the next one is going to be pretty big and (hopefully!) exciting.**

**Ciao~  
Milk**


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